“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (First Amendment).
These forty- five words represent the basic freedoms of everyone, but represent much more than that for student journalists like myself. For us, they represent our freedom to say and write what we want and our responsibility to say and write what we must.
For me, they represent the countless students who have gone before me to pave the way for my own freedom of speech. Whether it be those brave students from Iowa who proved that we have the right to speak and wear what we like within reasonable bounds or it be the editors of my own paper who waged their own censorship fight against the district just a few years ago, these pioneers have taught me to appreciate the importance of these words and the rights they represent.
As a journalist, it is my duty to report what I think the people need to know and without the words of the First Amendment, I would not have the freedom or ability to do my duty. However, with this duty comes a sense of responsibility that my experience as a student journalist has taught me. We, as journalists, must follow the normal ethics codes and laws that apply to professional journalism as well as the guidelines and rules in place for student journalists. Our writing must be both ethical AND appropriate for our age group.
My experience as a student journalist has given me an invaluable sense of responsibility, ethics, and hard work. The sense of hard work that The Spoke has given me will carry me throughout my life and will help me in fields other than journalism. I have learned time management and, of course, how to write. My experiences on The Spoke have given me skills that I will need for the rest of my life. More important than that, however, is my sense of pride in my work. However vain it may sound, seeing my name written in the byline of a newspaper that is shipped around my community and my school gives me a sense of pride and responsibility for my work.
I’ll admit that at times the frustrations involved in journalism can cause me a lot of stress. For example, when a potential interviewee refuses to respond to my repeated emails or when I can’t seem to be able to come up with a good transition between two quotes, I forget my reasons for being on The Spoke. In the end, however, the numerous benefits of student journalism win out.
Sincerely,
Claire Moran
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