how their particular publication was a representation of their school to the
outside world. They were helped because her school had a good ambience.
Students, in general, enjoyed their six years there. There was not much
of what could be called student discontent. This ambience, the teaching
expertise of these advisors, and the advisors’ trustworthiness relieved her
of worries about school publications.
The newspaper advisor at Ms. Niles-Perry’s school fully understood
that a school newspaper traditionally exists to highlight the successes of
students and to discuss issues of relevance to the student population. It is
also read by parents who use it to better understand the school. It is used
by the school for public relations purposes.
This does not mean that controversy should be avoided. Three articles in
particular should be cited here as examples. One dealt with teenage preg-
nancy and presented differing viewpoints on sex education, abstinence,
and abortion. Another dealt with date rape. A third explored the danger of
abusive relationships. In all cases, the identities of students interviewed
and quoted were protected. The reporting was balanced, with articles rep-
resenting different viewpoints on the issues. Finally, the articles provided
students with information, such as a list of available resources and support
services, important for them to make personal decisions that could affect
their future lives.
A knowledgeable volunteer donated his time and services to help the
students create the school newspaper. As a reporter himself and frequent
contributor to a major Los Angeles newspaper, he was able to help teach
students the art of balanced reporting.
The advisor followed a similar procedure with the school literary maga-
zine, although here the issue was with erotic content and hinged on the
fine distinction between art and obscenity, an issue still not fully defined
for adults let alone teenagers. Reminding students of their audience—their
friends and classmates, their teachers, and often their parents—was a ma-
jor way of addressing this issue. It was of great pride to the school and its
students that the literary magazine of this inner-city middle school/high
school often received high scores from the National Council of Teachers
of English. So, the gentle censorship imposed did not negatively affect
its quality.
The tact used with the yearbook staff was a bit different. The main
question posed to them was, “Will the book we produce remind graduates
140 Chapter 10