Editorial Policy

MHSMedia is the official news site of Marist High School in Chicago, IL. We also partner with our MHS Studio broadcasting students to report the news and happenings around our school.

 

The Editorial Policy of MHS Media

Purpose of News Site

To provide a practical and educational experience for students as they produce the school news site.

To inform, educate, entertain and interpret events for the Marist community and, in particular, the students.

To achieve the highest standards of accuracy, responsibility, ethics, fairness, impartiality, journalistic and academic integrity.

To initiate discussion of issues and events facing the Marist community.

Profanity

MHS Media seeks to uphold the mission statement of Marist High School.

MHS Media adheres to all rules governing student life at Marist as set forth in the annual parent-student handbook

No profane or obscene language or illustrations will be published in MHS Media.

The faculty adviser reserves the right to edit out any profanity or obscenity that may have been overlooked or accepted by the Editorial Board.

Content

Is suggested by the staff during Editorial Board meetings.

Is ultimately determined by the Editorial Board.

Is carefully edited to eliminate potentially libelous, obscene or physically disruptive material.

The Editorial Board may, at its discretion, solicit, invite or consider suggestions or contributions from school faculty, staff, students or other members of the Marist community.

Staff Writing

In most cases, all stories and editorials are staff written except when otherwise solicited by the Editorial Board.

Staff writers will come from both students enrolled in the class and those in the club.

Letters to the Editor

The Editorial Board encourages the submission of letters to the editor by members of the Marist community.

Letters to the editor will be published if approved by a majority vote of the Editorial Board.

Letters to the editor must be signed and will not be considered for publication if they contain libel or obscenities, invade the privacy of an individual or encourage physical disruption.

May be edited for length, grammar or punctuation.

Will not be considered for publication if they contain any sentiment or statement that conflicts with the mission statement of Marist High School or the editorial policy of the newspaper.

Editorials

Subjects for editorials will be suggested by Editorial Board members

Will appear only after receiving a vote of approval by the majority of the Editorial Board.

Will strive to focus on issues pertinent to the student body of Marist High School.

Will adhere to the highest standards of journalistic excellence in focusing on said issues.

Trivia

Because MHS Media seeks to uphold the highest journalistic standards, gossip columns, popularity polls or any other material considered trivial will not appear.

Bylines

Will appear on every piece of student writing except for staff editorials.

Captions will appear on top of, under, next to or within photos and graphics.

Recognition of the source, photographer or artist will also accompany all photos and graphics.

News and Features

MHS Media covers high school news, news pertaining to high school students and news pertaining to the greater Marist High School community.

Features pertaining to Marist High School, its students, faculty, staff or the community at large will be included for informational and entertainment value.

Space constraints will prohibit coverage of crimes, weddings, births, organizations not officially recognized by the administration of Marist High School or issues, events or individuals that conflict with the mission statement of the school.

Reviews

Books, recordings, television programs, films, concerts or dramatic productions that would have an appeal to the majority of the newspaper’s readership may be the subject of review.

The subject of a review is approved by a majority of the Editorial Board and the teacher.

Reviews will blend praise with appropriate criticism.

When reviewing a school performance, consideration will be given to the amateur status of the performers and other students involved.

When reviewing a school performance, the reviewer will utilize quotes from sources directly involved in the production.

When reviewing an outside business, the reviewer will focus on praise in order to uphold the reputation of Marist High School in the community.

Illustrations

All photographs and graphics will include appropriate attribution.

MHS Media staff will not publish photographs or graphics that make persons look foolish or which represent individuals in a disrespectful manner.

MHS Media staff will follow the digital image manipulation policy espoused by the Journalism Education Association (JEA).

Errors

MHS Media will strive to correct all errors brought to the attention of the Editorial Board by running a correction in the following issue.

Errors will be corrected if and when deemed necessary by a majority of the Editorial Board and/or the faculty adviser

Time, Place and Manner of Distribution

Our content will be posted on the MHS Media webpage.  We will share this space with MHS Studio.  

Staff Conduct

As members of a highly visible group within the school, the members of the Editorial Board will conduct themselves appropriately at all times, rigidly adhering to the guidelines for student conduct as outlined in the Marist parent-student handbook.  School rules and the dress code will be followed at all times.  

Staff Disciplinary Action and Dismissal

In the event that an Editorial Board member is caught plagiarizing material, the guidelines set forth in the Marist parent-student handbook will be followed.  In addition, the offending writer will be removed from the newspaper and given other projects to work on in order to receive a grade for the class.

Editorial Board members enrolled in the class who miss a major deadline will receive a lower class grade for the term.  A second missed deadline will result in removal from the newspaper and the assignment of other projects to work on in order to receive a grade for the class.

Editorial Board members who have joined the club that miss a major deadline will be put on probation. A second missed deadline will result in permanent removal from the newspaper.

In the event that any Editorial Board member seriously violates school rules, the faculty adviser will meet with the student and/or his parents to decide a course of action.  This is in addition to any consequences that student may face through the dean’s office.  

Examples of offenses include gross insubordination, numerous tardies or absences, blatant disregard for the syllabus (club or course), editorial policy or any other section of the staff manual, fighting, abusing illegal substances on or off campus, or otherwise setting a poor example for other students. 

For minor offenses, the following consequences apply:

1st offense:  probationary status for the remainder of the term

2nd offense:  parent/teacher/student conference

3rd offense:  removal from newspaper; independent study and projects to be  completed for course grade

The faculty adviser will also make any grade changes to reflect a board member’s failure to perform to standards.

Digital Image Manipulation Policy

     In order to safeguard against any violation of ethics vis-à-vis the use of digital images, MHS Media adheres to the position statement on the topic from the Journalism Education Association, published in the Quill and Scroll Foundation Principal’s Guide to Scholastic Journalism (p. 53-54).

Students in the journalism class will be empowered to make decisions regarding the ethical and legal use of images in question, as well as their suitability.

The four-way test conceived by University of Oregon professors Tom Wheeler and Tim Gleason will be used to determine “whether and how to manipulate, alter or enhance images.”

          1)  the viewfinder test

   Does the photograph show more than what the photographer saw through the viewfinder?

          2)  the photo-processing test

               Has anything been done in processing the photo that changes, for better or worse, the overall 

  quality of the photo (i.e., cropping, color-corrections, lightening, darkening).

          3)  the technical credibility test       

   Is the proposed alteration not technically obvious to the readers?

          4)  the clear-implausibility test      

               Is the altered image not obviously false to readers

     If any of the above tests can be answered in the affirmative, JEA urges student  

     journalists to do the following:

1. a) not manipulate news photos c)  clearly label images as photo-illustrations
2. b) not publish the image(s) in question     when student editors decide they are the best way to 

      support content.

Ethical Standards

Members of the Editorial Board are expected to know and follow the ethical standards set forth by the American Society of Professional Journalists.  

Style

MHS Media adheres to the style guidelines put forth by the Associated Press (AP).

Adopted August 2011; revised 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023