Below is the nineteenth in my 31 day writers series project; each day I feature a different person and ask three similar questions about a person's writing process. Yesterday I introduced Wayne Brasler. Today's contributor, Henry Rome, won the 2009 Brasler Prize. The Brasler Prize recognizes the nation's best high school news article each year.
Henry Rome's award winning article illustrates why I support student journalism. First, his article exposed how his district had violated the fundamental tenet of education, "safety first," His journalism led to improved safety procedures. Secondly, even though Henry Rome and his school paper were recognized throughout the country by legislators, educators and journalists, his own district limited press rights at his school.
All across our country, school districts are limiting student speech because elected officials do not want to look bad. In a recent Missouri case, a public school district spokesperson justified censorship by contending, "I think we want to represent the school in the most positive light possible..." Well, of course. Government always wants to be seen in the "most positive light possible." Unfortunately, Government's desire "to present the best possible" truth creates a perpetual distrust between citizens and their institutions. We hope the media will keep the Government more honest.
Citizens do not expect that the Government will take control of the media when a story conflicts with the Government's "most positive light" standard. Now some people believe that school papers are not real papers and that the public school owns the newspaper and yearbook. This is factually wrong. Besides, school districts already have their own marketing materials. In those brochures, they may show their schools "in the most positive light possible."
Henry Rome is now a first year student at Princeton. I have included his complete response to me. You will notice, he is a good kid. He addresses me as Mr. Farley. He also sent me a photo taken by his mother. He is still pursuing journalism.
For those of you who believe that censorship is a good idea, I will let you read this story and I will leave you with a different question. Would you rather your child attend a public school with violent criminals or would you rather have your student attend a school where students can practice the First Amendment?
Dear Mr. Farley,
Thanks again for thinking of me. Here are my responses as well as some brief background information. Please let me know when the post goes live!
Best,
Henry
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As the editor in chief of his high school newspaper — The Spoke, at Conestoga High School in the Philadelphia suburbs — Henry Rome conducted a four-month investigation into a district elementary school custodian who had been accused of robbing two local banks. The investigation, which involved searching through court records, police logs and filing multiple formal records requests, revealed that the custodian had accumulated a violent criminal record while he was a district employee, before the alleged robberies. The story highlighted a state system that allowed this custodian to slip through the cracks — and a system that lawmakers demanded be changed. The article, available at http://www.friendsofthespoke.org/obligationtoreport/, was honored with the Brasler Award, the highest recognition for a high school article nationwide, by the National Scholastic Press Association. It was also named NSPA's 2009 News Story of the Year.
Only a few weeks after this story was published, the school district proposed a policy of censorship on the newspaper, apparently in response to this and other controversial stories published that year. Rome and current Editor in Chief Seth Zweifler fought back. After five months of discussions, press coverage and widespread local and national support, the district changed its proposal, replacing it with one that correctly identified and defined today's legal standards. More information is available at www.friendsofthespoke.org.
Rome was also named the National High School Journalist of the Year in 2009 and was awarded the Courage in Student Journalism Award in 2009. He currently attends Princeton University and is a staff reporter and photographer for the Daily Princetonian. The photo below, was taken by Victoria Rome, Henry's mother.
1. Why do you write?
I am a reporter because I love to figure out what's going on; to put the pieces together and search for the truth; to learn more about the world; and to communicate all that to my readers.
A fascination with the news of the day is in my blood, I guess. I really enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories, and finding out how the news effects people in their daily lives. Journalism is a way to make sense of what is a complicated world, and conducting original reporting that involves putting the pieces together has a definite thrill to it. But journalism also has a significant and indeed crucial impact on society, which I expand upon in the next question. In the end, I write because I feel very strongly about the role newspapers have in upholding the values of democracy. As Arthur Miller once said, "A newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself," and I like to be part of the conversation.
2. What motivates or inspires you?
I write to keep people informed. And nowhere in my young journalistic life has that been more meaningful than with the custodian investigation. Throughout the investigation, it became apparent that my story was not just about a custodian in an elementary school in Pennsylvania. The investigation turned into an article about student safety and presented statewide, if not nationwide, implications. Employees are thoroughly background checked at the beginning of employment, but what happens if they commit crimes after they've been hired? Right now, Pennsylvania districts can only compel employees themselves to report their offenses, so districts have very limited options to find out of their employees are criminals. Concern about loopholes in the system was present among many of the sources I spoke with, but there has been almost no reporting on this issue. This is something people need to know about.
Further, the question of whether to require more stringent reporting policies and further integrate law enforcement and fingerprinting databases raised fascinating questions that hit on important Constitutional issues: while it may make sense that requirements should be as stringent as possible, it became clear through my reporting that there are important side effects that must be considered, including this scenario: say a teacher is charged with drunk driving and the school is automatically notified. The teacher could potentially face discipline, and if nothing else their reputation is severely damaged. And what if the charges turn out to be false? Can the teacher ever clear their name? The questions raised hit on the balance between security and privacy, a quintessentially American debate.
So, what motivates me? The people need to know. The people need to know the issues, the debate, the consequences. What it comes down to is informing the people, so they can make informed decisions in public policy and in their lives. I knew that the information I uncovered was critical information that needed to be shared with the public. As a journalist, you have to tell people not only what they want to know, but what they need to know. So throughout all the challenges of reporting, I always kept that idea in mind — and that’s what kept me going.
3 How do you get past writer's block?
I usually encounter the most writer's block when I'm working on my lead. The technique I often use is one that a former editor once told me: think about the first thing you would tell a friend about the story. That's your lead, or at least the beginnings of it. It definitely works as a thought exercise, but if I'm feeling really stuck I'll actually just find someone to listen to me babble on about my story. Then, I take a second and think back to the first thing I told them. There you have it.
If I'm working on a story that I have more time leeway on — as opposed to a story I have to turn around for the next day's paper — I try to find time when I just feel really into the writing. When it's not flowing, I don't force it and just do, say, more research.
Also, always read good writing. When I was working on the custodian investigation, I read up on a bunch of investigations conducted by other newspapers to see their writing style and investigative techniques.
Lastly, if you've got something written but are stuck on how to improve or change it, get another set of eyes — I sought out friends in the journalism and scholastic press fields to give a read and offer feedback on writing and direction.
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Overall, I am very passionate not only about the art of journalism but about the role of journalism. This is information people need to know. And I intended to share that information.
Henry Rome can be reached at [email protected].
For more about Henry (and his related work)
Henry Rome's old High School Newspaper: Stoganews.com
Friends of the Spoke: Organization to support School Newspaper
Henry's Personal site: Henry's Paper
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