Censorship in high school

Censorship in High School

The censoring of the articles appearing in the school newspaper is intended to protect the readers from the gruesome details of reality. But can this protection actually work when these gruesome details are all over television, radio and the internet? Perhaps not, but then the censorship is aimed to reduce the negative impact the cruel reality might have on teenagers, by making them focus on the scholarly features presented in the high school newspaper. The goal is grand, but can it actually be achieved? I believe not, and the only thing it does is to narrow the minds of both readers and writers by enclosing them in a world free of crime.

However meant to protect both readers and writers from a horrific reality, censorship of the articles in the high school newspaper damages the free thinking spirit of adolescents and slows down the process of creating a skilled and objective journalist, well integrated in the society.

Nobody doubts the good intentions of high school principals who desire to read in the school newspaper about pleasant events and achievements of students. But when the world around abounds in criminality, the protection through censorship is rather unlikely to have the desired outcome. And even considering that there are teenagers who do not watch television, or which by some miraculous event are unaware of the cruelties going on in the world, reading more pleasant articles in the high school newspaper will serve them no good. For they will one day realize the multitude of negative aspects in the world and will be shocked at their sight. As a result of this line of thoughts, one could mention that by censoring the school newspaper, the high school fails to accomplish its mission of ensuring the transition from childhood to adulthood. And this mission, aside from presenting the adolescents with the theoretical knowledge they need, is also required to gradually introduce them into the real world, with its ups and downs. This then implies that the school newspaper should present real life features.

Then, aside from failing to accomplish the mission of guiding children's path to adulthood, the censorship of the high school newspaper represents an infringement of three vital rights: the right to be properly informed, the right to state one's opinion and finally, the right to professionally grow as a skilled and qualified journalist.

The right to state one's opinion is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which stipulates the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. "The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable" (1 Annals of Congress 434). And even though it is only a high school newspaper, it is still part of the American press, and is therefore protected by the First Amendment and should not be subjected to censorship.

Then, the second right being infringed by censorship is that of proper information. It is however true that the students can find the information on all media channels; but it is also true that a respectable high school newspaper has the obligation of presenting the facts as they are. "Indeed, it wasn't only student journalists who were hurt [...]; it also was their readers, particularly students who might have limited exposure to newspapers or magazines at home. By showing them how an investigative story or a lively opinion section can add to their understanding of the school they attend, an ambitious, uncensored student newspaper teaches principles that are essential to a free society: the importance of skepticism, criticism and empiricism; the necessity of checks on authority; the centrality of open debate to democratic culture" (Just, 2008)

The third right being violated by abusive censorship is that of a proper education and professional formation of the future journalist. By forcing them to redo their work based on the preferences of the principal, the young journalists are prevented from conducing a proper investigation, from properly challenging the subject, analyzing and criticising it (Just, 2008).

It is an undoubted fact that the high school principals implementing censorship over the articles in the school newspaper have the best interest of their students at heart. However, on the long-term they might do more harm that good, as they prevent writers from properly conducting an investigation and learning to form an objective opinion. Censorship of the high school newspaper breaks all norms of a democratic society and teaches young journalists that it's ok to have their work shred to peaces because the principal does not approve of it. "More than just the health of journalism education was at stake. Hazelwood was about the values that we teach the next generation, the people who will carry the American democratic project forward" (Just, 2008).