LS 2
Aufgabenstellung:
1.
Outline the different incidents and causes of censorship in student journalism as presented in the article.
(Comprehension) (10 Punkte)
2.
Analyze how the author conveys her message. Focus on communicative strategies and use of language.
(Analysis) (17 Punkte)
3.
Choose one of the following tasks:
3.1
“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.” 1 (Walter Cronkite, 1916–2009, American journalist and broadcaster)
Assess to what extent freedom of the press, as seen by Cronkite, is under threat today.
(Evaluation: comment) (17 Punkte)
3.2
In response to the article in The New York Times, write a letter to the editor commenting on the impact of student newspapers on school communities.
(Evaluation: re-creation of text) (17 Punkte)
Margaret Renkl
Student Journalists Reveal a Changing World. Let Them.
1
It wasn’t exactly news when a principal in Nebraska censored a high school newspaper,
2
canceled the school’s journalism program and abruptly disbanded its student newspaper.
3
I mean, it’s news news, but it’s not surprising news. Red state bureaucrats and politicians
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have been at war with the First Amendment for a while now.
5
Even school officials’ reason for shutting down The Viking Saga, the award-winning
6
54-year-old student paper at Northwest High School in Grand Island, Neb., wasn’t exactly
7
a shock. When the school principal announced a new edict requiring student journalists,
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including at least three transgender staff members, to use bylines that match their legal
9
names, the Saga staff members responded in its June issue with two opinion pieces on
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L.G.B.T.Q. issues and an article explaining the history of homophobia and the origins of
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Pride Month. [...]
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Administrators at Northwest High School have offered no explanation for their decision to
13
disband the student newspaper and remove journalism from its curriculum, nor have they
14
provided a legitimate pedagogical reason for the administration’s action. Their real
15
motivation is clear anyway. [...]
16
The travesty at Northwest High School is only the latest episode in the increasing efforts
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to censor student publications across the red states, particularly when students are writing
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about L.G.B.T.Q. issues.
19
Even if you accept the argument that parents, not schools, ought to decide when and how
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children should learn about gender issues, shutting down a high school newspaper in which
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the writing and editing are done by the students makes no sense. Critical thinking and clear
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communication are two of the chief skills that secondary schools are charged with teaching,
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and the school newspaper is a crucial tool for cultivating both.
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Student journalists practice formulating arguments and expressing them in written language.
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They are obliged to recognize that different people hold different opinions, and they practice
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listening closely, word for word, to what other people say. They learn how essential it is for
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every word they write to be true. And they do it all in a real-world context that no ordinary
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class assignment can approximate.
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Working on my high school newspaper was the single greatest formative experience of my
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writing life — never mind that I have a graduate degree in writing. Like most high school
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students, I wasn’t a great writer, and some of the opinions I held then are opinions I repudiate
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now. But writing for my school paper taught me the power of words. It taught me to respect
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them and to be careful with them. I came to recognize their power in part because the adults
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in charge of my school so often feared them.
35
The first time I got in trouble as a student journalist, it was for writing a poll designed to
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discover how many teens in my high school were sexually active and in what ways. A
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poll of the student body was a regular feature of the paper; each month English teachers
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distributed the printed check-the-box questions, and each month I collected the answer
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sheets and tabulated the results. But that month the principal confiscated the poll from the
40
school copy machine and refused to release it.
41
I still don’t know what that poll might have revealed, and neither does anyone else. But the
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adults at my Bible Belt school clearly expected it to be something they didn’t want to know
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about teen sexuality in 1977.
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Too many adults still don’t want to know what high school students really think about the
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world they live in. Too many high school students have good reason not to want the adults
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in their lives to know those things, either. Agreed-upon fictions can benefit both sides of a
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generational divide.
48
What adults know about teenagers is only what teenagers choose to divulge. Parents may
49
believe their children aren’t having unprotected sex, aren’t drinking or experimenting with
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drugs, aren’t struggling with thoughts of self-harm, aren’t driving too fast with eight other
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kids piled in the car, aren’t cheating on tests, aren’t bullying somebody online and aren’t
52
being bullied [...] but they have no way of knowing for sure. Teenagers have always been
53
able to make themselves inscrutable.
54
It’s a time-honored tradition for parents to be terrified of the changing world their children
55
will one day lead, but student journalists are not the ones who created that world. Student
56
journalists are only reporting on it. Faithfully and fearlessly, they are showing us what they
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observe and what they experience. They are telling us what they think it all means.
58
The high school newspaper is not the enemy of frightened adults. It is one of the few
59
windows they will ever have into what is actually happening in their own children’s world,
60
perhaps in their own children’s hearts. Isn’t that what a parent is supposed to want?
Margaret Renkl, “Student Journalists Reveal a Changing World. Let Them.”, in: The New York Times, 05 September 2022 source (Zugriff: 05.03.2024) Wortzahl: 795
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Please note: The solutions presented here are just one possible way to approach the task. There are often multiple valid methods and perspectives, and alternative approaches may be equally effective.
The administration offered no valid educational reason for ending the program, showing that the real motivation was likely to suppress content that challenged conservative viewpoints. The article places the incident within a larger trend of increasing censorship of student publications, especially in conservative “red states”, particularly when topics such as LGBTQ+ rights are discussed. Renkl recalls her own experience of censorship in 1977 when a student poll on teen sexuality was confiscated by the principal, revealing how adults have long tried to suppress uncomfortable truths about young people's experiences. The author argues that many adults don’t want to know what teenagers truly think or experience, whether it concerns drugs, sexuality, mental health, or bullying. This contributes to a culture of silence and suppression. In summary, censorship arises from fear, discomfort with sensitive topics, and a desire to control narratives, particularly when they challenge traditional or conservative values.
1.
The article highlights several incidents and underlying causes of censorship in student journalism.
At Northwest High School in Grand Island, Nebraska, the student newspaper The Viking Saga was shut down and the journalism program disbanded. This happened after the staff, which included at least three transgender members, published articles on LGBTQ+ issues and responded to a new rule forcing them to use only legal names in their bylines. What causes censorships of student journalism like the one mentioned above?The administration offered no valid educational reason for ending the program, showing that the real motivation was likely to suppress content that challenged conservative viewpoints. The article places the incident within a larger trend of increasing censorship of student publications, especially in conservative “red states”, particularly when topics such as LGBTQ+ rights are discussed. Renkl recalls her own experience of censorship in 1977 when a student poll on teen sexuality was confiscated by the principal, revealing how adults have long tried to suppress uncomfortable truths about young people's experiences. The author argues that many adults don’t want to know what teenagers truly think or experience, whether it concerns drugs, sexuality, mental health, or bullying. This contributes to a culture of silence and suppression. In summary, censorship arises from fear, discomfort with sensitive topics, and a desire to control narratives, particularly when they challenge traditional or conservative values.
2.
Margaret Renkl uses several rhetorical and stylistic strategies to effectively communicate her message in favor of student journalism and against censorship.
Firstly, Renkl strengthens her argument through a personal story about her experience as a high school journalist in 1977, when her poll on teen sexuality was censored by school officials. She says: “The first time I got in trouble as a student journalist, it was for writing a poll…” (line 35). This emotional storytelling makes her message relatable and shows that censorship is not a new issue. Moreover, she adopts a critical tone toward authorities who censor student voices, especially in conservative regions: “Red state bureaucrats and politicians have been at war with the First Amendment” (line 4). This strong language positions her clearly on the side of free expression and students’ rights. Furthermore, Renkl points out the irony in censoring student writing under the pretense of protecting or educating students, even though journalism itself is a vital educational tool: “The school newspaper is a crucial tool for cultivating both [critical thinking and clear communication]” (line 23). She contrasts what schools should do with what they actually do. She also uses lists to emphasize the wide range of issues students face and parents might be in denial about: “aren’t having unprotected sex, aren’t drinking or experimenting with drugs, aren’t struggling with thoughts of self-harm…” (lines 49–51). This rhetorical technique highlights the disconnect between adult assumptions and teenage reality. Through the use of inclusive pronouns like “we” and emotionally charged words like “travesty” (line 16), “faithfully and fearlessly” (line 56), and “inscrutable” (line 53), Renkl deepens the emotional impact of her message. Lastly, she appeals to parental responsibility and curiosity, framing student journalism as a window into teenagers’ inner lives: “The high school newspaper is not the enemy… It is one of the few windows they will ever have into what is actually happening…” (lines 58–59). This positions student journalism not as a threat but as a valuable resource for parents and society.
3.1
Walter Cronkite’s statement highlights the essential role of a free press in maintaining democratic societies. Today, this freedom is increasingly under threat, both in professional journalism and in student journalism, as shown in Margaret Renkl’s article from The New York Times.
In the U.S., especially in politically conservative areas, there has been a growing trend of censorship, targeting both mainstream and student media. As Renkl describes, a Nebraska high school shut down its award-winning student newspaper The Viking Saga after students wrote articles supporting LGBTQ+ rights. This shows that even in educational settings, where critical thinking and open discussion should be encouraged, press freedom is being suppressed due to political or ideological discomfort. This kind of censorship not only violates the First Amendment but also undermines the democratic process, which depends on the free exchange of ideas. Student journalists, like professional reporters, serve as observers and critics of their societies. Silencing their voices weakens democracy by limiting the diversity of perspectives in public discourse. Moreover, the situation is not limited to schools. Across the globe, journalists face increasing pressure from governments, misinformation campaigns, and economic challenges. In many countries, including democratic ones, the independence of the press is being compromised, either through legal restrictions or media concentration being in the hands of few. Yet, the importance of a free press remains clear. Journalists expose corruption, give voice to marginalized groups, and hold those in power accountable. If these functions are restricted, democracy itself is at risk, as Cronkite warned. In conclusion, Cronkite’s words are more relevant than ever. Freedom of the press is not just an ideal, it is the foundation of a functioning democracy. And that freedom is currently under serious threat, not only on a global level but even in American high schools.
3.2
To the Editor,
After reading Margaret Renkl’s powerful article on student journalism, I felt compelled to write in support of the critical role that student newspapers play in school communities. Student newspapers are more than just extracurricular activities, they are training grounds for democratic citizenship. They allow young people to explore real-world issues, practice journalistic ethics, and develop a voice in society. When students report on topics like LGBTQ+ rights or mental health, they are not causing problems, they are addressing realities that affect their peers daily. Suppressing these voices, as in the case of The Viking Saga in Nebraska, sends a dangerous message: that only some opinions are acceptable, and that others must be silenced. This not only violates students' rights, but also damages the educational mission of schools. At their best, student newspapers create dialogue between students, staff, and parents. They encourage critical thinking, spark discussions, and make school communities more open, inclusive, and aware. Isn’t that exactly what education is meant to do? Renkl is absolutely right: student journalists are not the enemy. They are some of the most honest and courageous observers of our society. We should protect them, not silence them. Sincerely, Mason Robinson