Five editors resigned from the Stevenson High School newspaper Tuesday, according to its former editor, citing frustrations with school administrators over perceived censorship of controversial stories and a plan to change the class’ schedule this semester.
“I’d rather practice no journalism than journalism that doesn’t follow with my ethics and what I believe in,” ex-editor Pam Selman said.
Selman said she and the managing editor, features editor, ideas editor and presentation editor decided not to go back to the paper for second semester, which started Tuesday.
She said the news editor and a copy editor had previously quit, as well.
District spokesman Jim Conrey said administrators are disappointed in the students’ decision and defended the school’s efforts to reach compromise with them.
“The teachers and administration were looking forward to working with them to address the concerns they had,” he said.
Selman said staffers had grown frustrated, especially by an administrative decision to merge the class, which had been taught in two sections, into one for the new semester. At least one student would have been forced to drop the class, she said.
“When (administrators) refused to let us remain in two sections, it was a sign to us that we couldn’t very well expect much collaboration second semester,” she said.
Selman said that Tuesday’s resignations shrunk the paper’s staff to five. Conrey disputed the number, saying the paper has a remaining staff of eight.
He said the paper will continue to publish.
“Our mission remains the same regardless of who’s in course,” he said. “We want to teach the fundamentals of journalism and produce a quality newspaper.”
The resignations come after a year of tension between administrators and student journalists for the Statesman, regarded as one of the premier student newspapers in Illinois and the nation. Last January, administrators implemented a new “prior review” policy giving them authority to read stories before the paper goes to print.
The paper’s faculty adviser, Barbara Thill, resigned after last school year in the wake of the change.
During the current school year, student journalists objected to administration decisions to spike stories in November and December about teen pregnancy, banned substance use by honor students and prescription drug abuse.
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