Pre-review for the stohion...

If you go to SMFHS, read this!

As some of you know, the student run school newspaper, the Stohion, is facing an issue that breaks our rights as people and ruins the integrity of the newspaper. Dr. Jones, the Superintendent, and Mr. Bailey are wanting the Stohion to have pre-review before the issue is distributed. Why? Everyone has an answer in their heads, Dr. Jones was taken aback by an editorial in the september issue. The editorial was on a Board Of Education meeting. I think the end of this article basically sums it up: 'Without community involvement, it appears that the BOE (board of education) will continue to award those in favor and ignore what is the most important-the students.'
So, if you were a board member and reading this how would you take it? Maybe you could get a clue what is going on and what the community wants. Well, when the board was asked, they did not know about the whole pre-review hing. So the houghts of the bord enforcing this were immediatly crossed off. So as th staff of the stohion found out, the only two people who know are Dr. Jones and Mr. Bailey. Following this new information, the class scheduled a meeting with both, Mr. Bailey on Thursday, and Dr. Jones on Friday.
As i have heard from the meeting Thursday, the journalism class advisor told journalism 1 Mr. Bailey didnt really know what an editorial was. It is an article that is someones opinion backed by fact. The staff acted very proffessional this meeting though, as you can imagine, most were probably very upset. Mr. Bailey is sure he will win this, but as he does not know, it is completely illegal. And even to reassure students, he said that he would only spend 5 mintes looking over their paper. This did not get the reaction he wanted obviousely. The students, of course, do not want the pre-review, but if they had to get the paper pre-reviewed, Mr. Bailey would have to take a long time looking at ever period, comma, spell check, fact and quote. mr. Bailey probably does not know what he is in for because once he ofund that the school will be held for any libel or incorrect quote-or any mistake. He said he didnt want to do that either.
The next meeting with Dr. Jones started out with twizzlers he brought to maybe warm our hearts? Well most questions asked theri did not get answered. In fact, if anything, he dogded most of the hard ones. He started with a biography about himself for 10 minutes wasting time about him being a teacher and something else that no one really cared for their. the editor-in-chief remained very proffessional through getting inturrupted and having to ask multiple questions over again. Some important questions asked were: If the two controversal articles were not in the paper, woul dyou still want pre-review? of course he said he didnt know. News is supposed to be controvesial, so why do you have problems with these articles now? he responded that he loves controversy... ok? Have you told any other schools to pre-review their papers like ours? his response? not too clear. In this meeting, someone said something about this being a big deal. He said its not a big deal is it? and the staff reacted with talking over one another and one girl spoke up saying somthing like 'yes it is a big deal to us. this is our paper.'
If the issue gets any bigger, lawyers for this kind of mess will take it national. Students say they are planning to call in news stations too. The sad thing is, if they ask to pre-review it, the staff must let them have it. but if they do, whoever asks will be breaking a law and they ill get into trouble. And half of the staff hopes it to be that way...