Opinion story #2 Top-5 choices, FINISH Opinion Story #1 - assigned 10/29, due 10/29 - Minor and MAJOR

The first thing we want to do today is make your top-5 choices for your second opinion story. First, take a look at these options, there are 36 of them and there are 27 of you, so there are a number options to choose from. I will do my best to get you one of your first 5 choices, but if you see a lot of people asking for the same stories on the sheet, find another one please.

1. CELL PHONES - The state of Texas passed a law last year which bans cell phones at school. Students are allowed to have them on campus, but cannot have them out during instructional time, which is considered from the start of school until the dismissal bell. Take a stance on this policy: the policy is fine and it does make learning easier when you phone is not always accessible OR the policy is absurd and you think it should be changed. Make sure you provide support for your reasoning either way. If you are against the phone policy, make sure to provide a solution to students being off tasks when looking at their phones. You can also explain how phones might be used to facilitate the learning process.
2. SPORTS - Are high school sports being given too much priority over academics in American society. A recent article in the New York Times uncovered lots of information about how much money goes in to high school sports ($40 billion a year) and the report cites sources that describe the disproportionate amount of funding relative to academic classes. Take a stance on this topic. You should search out that story to see what it has to say. Are high school sports too important to remove or are they costing America too much money for very little gain.
3. TRAFFIC - Traffic is a big problem around Bowie, maybe more than just at the start of the day and at dismissal. Describe the problems and then provide solutions for how traffic might be lessened. Make sure to directly state your most powerful solution and why it is so important to make the change you are suggesting.
4. SLEEP - Sleep is so important, and studies have shown that high school kids don’t get enough. For this story make sure to address when students may not get enough sleep. Then provide solutions for how a lack of sleep might be made better. Make sure to directly state your most powerful solution and why it is so important to make the change you are suggesting.
5. 189 DAYS - The state has a law that mandates how many days students should go to school each year. That number is actually based on a total number of hours in front of a teacher in a classroom. For this story you can argue that the current system is just fine, 5-days a week from 9 am to 4:30 pm with all of the associated holidays is just great OR you could take the stance that going to a 4-day school week would be better. Remember that there needs to be some sort of accounting for the number of hours, that is a state law, so how will you suggest to achieve that goal, while only having to come to school four days a week.
6. YEARLONG SCHOOL - similar to the story above, you could argue that yearlong school is actually a better solution than a 4-day school week. In yearlong school you would have three shorter "summer" breaks, and more single day holidays (many of them creating a three-day weekend), but school would run year round.
7. SCHOOL START TIMES - Many students who go to Bowie High can say that they are regularly exhausted after school days, sports, and band practices. Along with riding the bus/attending practices/extracurriculars, students spend seven and a half hours at school on normal school days. Starting school at 9 a.m. does not help this already long day, as the 'late start' stretches the end of the day to 4:30 p.m. This is far too late and should be remedied immediately by starting school at 8 a.m. so students can get home with more time to get things done.
8. FINE ARTS - Some fine arts classes require a massive time commitment, should there be limits on how much practice is required for those kinds of programs? You have the option of taking the stance that there are too many expectations for people in groups like Band, Silver Stars, Athletics, Theater OR that to be involved in those organizations should require a time commitment and you know what you are getting into when you join a group like that.
9. AI AND CTE - What is the world of AI doing to programs at school that are teaching those same skills to humans - should CTE sequences be adapting for the reality of what AI is doing to the tech world? You can take the stance that programs at school that have an AI influence should probably not be taught anymore OR you can take the stance that learning things the right way, even though AI might be able to do some of those same skills, is still important to developing those skills and could still lead to a job somewhere.
10. TEA AND THE STATE OF TEXAS - The state is getting involved in education more and more, they have taken over a couple of school districts in the past and are threatening to take over AISD. Take the stance that the state has way too much power and shouldn't be superseding local control (via the superintendent and the local school board which is voted upon) OR that the state has a legal and moral obligation to make sure that schools are run correctly and efficiently. Be sure to address funding, testing and local control in EITHER of the stances.
11. LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS - The state has too much power about what is happening in local classrooms. Isn’t that what local school boards are for? Examine what your local school board has done recently and write an opinion with a direct stance on how much you trust your local school board to make decisions about what happens in Bowie classrooms. Be sure to research about the recent payroll problem, the accusations about some leaders at the district level altering or even potentially hiding information about the current redistricting and school closure process, teacher hiring, etc.
12. TESTING - This topic covers two things, state mandated testing and timed tests. You can take the stance that the state should have some accountability over students success and the simplest way to do that evenly across the board is to require districts to give the same tests to all students at the same level, i.e the STAAR test. And just like that success should be measured, the only way to do that equally is to have them be timed. OR you can take the stance that the state should not use testing of students to determine their achievement level or to use it to grade teachers. Both of those things should be done via some other process like GPA, or some sort of rubric on how well teachers actually teach.
13. ABSENCES AND HOMEWORK - How does the idea of homework piling up, or should students be responsible for working home when they are sick or have a doctor's appointment. Take a stance on this topic: Is school work really the responsibility of students and to fully learn about a subject, you have to do the work, which could mean doing some homework if you either need additional support to show mastery, or if you miss a day because of some reason OR is there just too much work and it needs to be reduced for the mental health needs of students. If you take the stance there is too much work, how should schools measure your knowledge of that topic to determine if you have met state standards as set by law?

I TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE OUT LONGER EXPLANATIONS FOR THE FIRST 13 OF THESE SO YOU WOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF HOW I WOULD APPROACH WRITING THESE PIECES. FOR THE NEXT 20+ SUGGESTIONS, I AM NOT GOING TO GO INTO AS MUCH DEPTH, YOU WILL NEED TO THINK ABOUT THEM THE SAME WAY THOUGH AS YOU ANALYZE THESE STORIES AND WHICH ONE YOU MIGHT END UP WITH.

14. HALLWAYS - Students make passing period difficult by not adhering to normal walking behaviors. Write a piece that talks about slow walkers, large groups blocking pathways and explain to the student body how we could better move around campus with fairly short passing periods.
15. OFF CAMPUS LUNCH - All students should be able to leave campus at lunch to get food - Argue why you agree or disagree with this.
16. LUNCH - Lunch period should be a choice like other classes. Argue why you agree or disagree with this topic. 
17. BURN OUT - what are some solutions to burnout and what kind of suggestions could you make to students who are feeling burnout. This one is a little harder to take a stance on, but you could just argue that you are burned out and explain why and offer some solutions that might help you.
18. STRUGGLING STUDENTS -  Not enough resources to help when struggling with school work - Bowie doesn't offer enough resources to help students who are struggling. Things to think about: Do you know all of the potential areas to get help, like peer tutoring? Are you taking advantage of FIT and getting help? Are you going to tutoring?
19. BLOCK SCHEDULING - Getting away from Block scheduling and going back to shorter classes - some people think this would be good for students. What do you think? Take a stance either way and explain why.
20. POLITICS IN THE CLASSROOM - Political issues dividing students and teachers - does this happen in school? How do you propose that teachers stay politically neutral while trying to do their jobs. Take a stance on this topic and argue one side or the other - teachers should be free to talk about politics and shouldn't be afraid of sharing what they think OR politics shouldn't be a topic that is discussed except potentially in a history or English class in limited forms.
21. AMERICAN LEADERSHIP - American leadership is failing the youth of today leading to many Gen Z kids to have a feeling of hopelessness about the future. Write a story with a direct stance on how to solve this problem and offer quality solutions fixing this failure to address young people in the United States and their needs and goals.
22. DRUG USE - Drug use is increasing, here is the solution.
23. VAPING - Vaping is a big problem at Bowie. Explain the situation and take a stance on the punishments for vaping. Are they too severe or not enough? Explain the impact of vaping at Bowie. Make sure to offer solutions to the vaping problem.
24. HALLWAYS - Students make passing period difficult by not adhering to normal walking behaviors. Write a piece that talks about slow walkers, large groups blocking pathways and explain to the student body how we could better move around campus with fairly short passing periods.
25. OFF CAMPUS LUNCH - All students should be able to leave campus at lunch to get food - Argue why you agree or disagree with this.
26. BATHROOMS - Bathrooms and bathroom passes are a big issue at Bowie. Craft an opinion piece that explains the problems you see with bathrooms. You can address things like cleanliness, availability of things like bathroom products (TP, soap, paper towels, etc.), how other students behave in the bathroom (vaping, bullying, fights, etc), and how that impacts you. Make sure you provide solution(s) on what could be done to change this situation.
27. GIRLS SPORTS - it doesn't feel like there is much equality between the sports here at Bowie. Take a stance on this topic.
28. PAYING FOR COLLEGE - Can you think of ways that could reduce the cost of college? If so, argue that those should be established so more people can go to college. Be realistic…
29. ELECTIVES - Not enough elective options - Does Bowie have enough elective options? Take a stance either way? Something to think about: Do you know all of the elective options here? 
30. FOOD DELIVERY - Bowie should allow food delivery, or Bowie should not allow food delivery. Take a side and explain why you think you are right?
31. RACISM AT BOWIE - is there a racism problem at Bowie? Pick a side and argue your opinions.
32. "BRAIN ROT" - Write about the use of language and how it has changed over time. Take the stance that each generation has its own language and that is okay OR by creating new languages we are dumbing down the English language.
33. BANNED BOOKS - banning books is bad OR there are some books that might be inappropriate for students and those shouldn't be in the school library (you could argue in this case, that maybe at the public library).
34. RELATIONSHIPS V GRADES - should students focus on grades over relationships, or is there a way to balance them and still be successful. Pick one and make a good argument for your opinion.
35. CORE CLASSES - Are core classes preparing students for college? Take a side, yes or no?
36. JANITORS - Janitors and how they are disrespected by students daily. Come up with some solutions to address the fact that students are messy, and don't seem to care about the surroundings at Bowie, which means janitors have to clean up everywhere.

Pick out 5 of these that you find interesting. 

Then click here: Opinion story #2 Choices

To the right of your name, type the story title you would like in order from 1 to 5. I have bolded the story titles above, to make your life easier. Next week you will get your assignment and will have two classes to write this story. 

IF you have another idea that you would prefer to write about, come see me. I am open to shifting you to something else as long as I can find a local connection and I feel like it is a worthy story idea.

When you have selected your top-5 choices - keep writing Opinion Story #1. It is due at the end of the period and will go on this progress report.

Opinion Story #2 brainstorm, Opinion Story #1 DUE. Assigned 10/27, due 10/29 - MAJOR & Minor

Brainstorm

Opinion Story #2 WILL appear on the Dispatch Online when it is turned in and edited.

Because of our renewed effort to publish your work on thedispatchonline.net I want you to pick your topics for this assignment. But there are some guidelines we have to follow.

First, you cannot pick something that we just aren't going to convince someone to believe in. For example, the death penalty - people are either for it or against it....pretty much across the board. Other examples include abortion, immigration, drug use, etc. Now there are certain parts of some of those examples that might work. 

Second, we need to LOCALIZE every opinion piece. That means we need to make sure every story idea is of interest to Bowie students, explains the subject in a way they will understand, and that we try to relate it to something local or near us. Be very specific and pick a topic that is local or can have a local slant or angle to the writing.

That is how you pick a story that is localized, impactful, and has two sides to it.

In my newspaper class, I often have my students answer some questions to help them create ideas. I will give them a document like you have in front of you that you got when you walked in the door called "Everyone's a writer - Part 2 of a continuing series" - Take 15 minutes to fill this document out. Make sure to put your name on the top because I will be collecting these after the brainstorm is over.

Now, just like last class, please use the information you created above, combined with what you did last class to come up with THREE new story ideas. On the back of your paper please give me a story idea and make sure to write at least a sentence to help me understand what you want from this story. Hopefully what you wrote above, will help you. My hope is to have these ready by the end of the period so you can sign up for one of these ideas. Some of you may have had some ideas from the last time you looked at the Dispatch - you can use those, but you need to make sure you write a little bit about those just like any other new ones you have thought of (write a sentence or two explaining your idea)

You may not use the following ideas:

1. Attendance Incentives

2. FIT changes

3. AC

4. Electronic Hall Passes

5. AI use

6. Tardy Passes

7. Lunches

8. PSAT Testing

When you are finished with this task, you have the rest of the period to finish your Opinion Story #1, make sure your Google Doc is shared properly (so anyone with the LINK CAN EDIT), and make sure it is linked on your Google Site on a new subpage called Opinion Story #1.

Opinion Story #1. Assigned 10/23, due 10/27 at the end of the period - MAJOR

OPINION STORY #1

Today, you will have the rest of the period to write your first opinion piece. We will keep moving next class, but you will have a time to finish this up on Monday. You will complete a brainstorm activity on Friday that will help all of us have a great set of options for the second opinion story.

For this one, I am going to give you 8 choices. You must choose one to write about today. That means that I will get multiple stories about the same subject. That is okay. I want this first one to be as easy as possible. Your second opinion story will be unique and no one else will be writing about the same topic. If I like your first opinion story, I may ask you if you would like to publish it online. I will not do this for everyone. Your second opinion story WILL BE PUBLISHED ONLINE.

Make a new Google Doc and title it: Your name and the story title. Once you finish the story, please make sure to create a new subpage on your Google Site called Opinion Story #1, and make it a clickable link there. Make sure to SHARE the document so ANYONE WITH THE LINK can EDIT.

Here are the 8 topics you can choose from, please notice how LOCALIZED these stories are. They are mostly about your school and the things you deal with every day. These are the best opinion stories to cover in a program like this one:

1. This year, the decision was made to just give attendance incentives to juniors and seniors. For most of the freshman, you weren't here to benefit from the program, but basically, by going to class regularly and not missing school, you could earn the right to skip a final exam (or two) and your grade would be your average. Sophomores are the ones most impacted because they were able to get them last year, but are not this year. Some of the reasons cited for the change include: freshmen and sophomores tend to not have as many absences as older students, taking higher stake tests are beneficial for students as they go through high school, and many teachers complained about the communication process and how difficult it is to track and to explain to parents the process. Additionally, upperclassmen are often taking other important tests like AP exams, TSI test, etc and reducing the workload on them is helpful overall. Take a stance on this topic. Should underclassmen be included or not? Make sure to come up with solutions.

 

2. This year FIT has changed, multiple times already. Initially students were held in 1st and 5th period for a longer class. The last 20+ minutes were supposed to be a study hall. Eventually, things were returned to something slightly similar where students can ask a teacher to sign them up for FIT and they can get extra help in those classes. Those process have changed throughout the school year and it is possible more changes could happen. I know most of you were not here to experience what FIT used to be like but I am interested in what your thoughts are at this point. The biggest reason for the change was financial because the system we used to allow students to sign up for FIT cost $10,000 a year. When they looked at the data, they also discovered that just roughly 1/6th of students were signing up for FIT, the rest just went where they wanted to go for the period (some left campus and were skipping). Write an opinion piece that gives your stance on this new FIT plan and how this program is working or not working for you. Make sure to address how you think allowing students to sign themselves up for FIT might or might not change how you feel about the process.

 

3. The AC. Oh the AC. Here at Bowie it seems to be a constant battle with making sure classrooms are conditioned properly, whether that is AC or heat, but mostly AC. Write an opinion piece explaining how the AC, or lack of it, impacts your learning.

 

4. Last year Bowie introduced the electronic hall passes. Using the Enriching Students platform, students now request a pass electronically and have to wait for a teacher to approve the pass. There are limits on how many students are in the hallways at any given time by area. Sometimes students a put into a queue and have to wait for it to be cleared to be able to go to the bathroom. Explain in an opinion piece what you think about this new policy and how it has impacted your learning. Do you feel more comfortable using the system, or would you prefer just getting some sort of paper pass? Explain how some teachers are using the system in your class. Has it been easy or hard to be able to use the restroom. Do you think there has been any impact on the cleanliness, or lack of it, with this new system?

5. AI is a bigger and bigger issue in schools. Take a stance on the use of AI in the classroom. This could be how teachers use it, how students use it, or even how it is regulated in college. Make sure you do good research on this topic. Is the energy expended by people using AI good for the environment or not, or should we care? How does AI impact you?

6. Tardy passes have changed this year. Students used to just go to class when they arrive at school and were marked tardy by their teacher. Now, students have to stop at the tables in front of the library to pick up a tardy pass. These are tracked by the administration and there are new consequences for receiving multiple tardies in a given week. The biggest reason for the  change is that over 30,000 tardies were recorded last year and classes were always being disrupted by tardy students. Write an opinion about the tardy passes? What do you think of the decision to change them up this year? How should the administration hold students accountable for being tardy? What causes students to be tardy and what other changes could be made to get kids to class on time.

7. Lunches are a big topic for most freshman here at Bowie. The lines are long, the seating is limited and the administration made some decisions that have made things a little tougher for students. In the past, students were allowed to eat most anywhere, including the academic wing. This year that was changed. At first, the academic wing was completely closed, but recently the downstairs A and F Halls have been opened up. You can focus on a couple of things for this opinion piece. 1. Seating, 2. Lunch Lines 3. the food available at lunch. Write an opinion pieces about any of those three topics. Make sure to include how lunch impacts you. Provide solutions for any lunch problems you address.

8. PSAT testing was held last week. Here at Bowie all grades except seniors to a PSAT. Most school only require sophomores and juniors to take the PSAT. Freshman took the test as a practice. Take a stance on what you think about taking that test. Did you have time to finish? Did you feel like it was unnecessary? How did the test go for you? Did you get your results? Will you use those results to help prepare you for future PSAT exams and eventually your SAT tests? Do you think taking the test as a freshman will help you or not?

OPINION STORY FORMAT

1. Start with a good introduction that gives us, in very short fashion, the basics about your topic. Make sure you state your DIRECT opinion on the topic you have chosen. You must take a STANCE on this story. For example if your topic is masks, you can argue that masks should be outlawed, you could argue that masks should be required, you could argue that masks should be worn in some circumstances and not in others. But you must take a side, one way or the other.

2. Write in 1st person if you want. This means you can use the word "I" if you want.

3. There are no quotes needed, BUT you will need facts to base your opinion on. You WILL need to do a little research about any of these topics so you have good facts - try google as a good starting place. Wikipedia is also a good place to get information, but make sure you verify the facts you find there, sometimes they are not very accurate.

4. State your opinion early and support it fully.

5. Address the other side, this means you need to directly say what the other side might feel about your opinion. Not only do you need to acknowledge their side, you need to refute their opinion, that means you need to prove them wrong somehow.

6. Come up with some solutions to your problem and try to convince the other side that your ideas might work.

7. To close, you can restate your stance.

So pick your topic, do some research about your topic on google (make sure its facts!! Google and certainly Wikipedia are not always factual!!)

And start writing!!! Don't worry, you can't be wrong, this is your opinion. Know your subject, take a side and stick with it (don't be wishy-washy!!) and go for it.

This piece will need to be about 400 words (350-500) and should be about 12-15 paragraphs long. Pace yourself and make sure you have most of this story done today. Many of you will finish it. Next class I will outline in more detail the format for your second opinion story, but what you have above, works for now. Do the best you can. The best of these will be published on the https://thedispatchonline.net.

CE #2.1 AND Opinion Writing Preview. Assigned 10/22, due 10/23 CE and Minor

On your Google Site, please make a new subpage and title it: Current Events Quiz #2.1. Answer the question below on that page. You are welcome to make multiple text boxes if that is easier, or if you want to work on just one text box, that is great. Whatever is best for you. Please be aware that if you copy and past the questions to your Google Site, it can create some formatting problems. I DO NOT NEED you to include the questions - just the answers.

Here is today's!!

1.  What specific drug has a Virginia state senator been accused and charged with racketeering and conspiracy, according to the article?

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/22/lucas-trump-virginia-marijuana-racketeering.html

2. How many protestors were arrested over the weekend in continued French protests?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvde8g40xx42o

3. What Austin nightclub has decided to limit phone usage in their venue?

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-nightclub-going-phone-free-heres-why-and-how/

4. What studio created the newest stop-motion sensation Wildwood?

https://slate.com/culture/2026/10/wildwood-movie-laika-studios-coraline-oscars-family-2026.html

5. How much is the new iPhone Duo?

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/apple-iphone-duo-review/

Long Response:

Please read the following story and respond to the questions below. Please answer the question fully and always try to answer WHY. This section is the subjective section and I will penalize you if you write one word or short phrases for answers with an open-ended question. 

REMINDER - A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

Please read the following article about Tesla and SpaceX

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/20/business/spacex-tesla-merger-musk

Answer the following questions:

A. Summarize the story in a couple of sentences. You don't have to provide a lot of details here, but make sure I know the basic plot of the article.

B. How did the potential merger impact the value of the shares of both companies when it was discussed on an earning call a couple of days ago?

C. Who will make the ultimate decision to attempt to merge the two companies?

D. What kind of impact do you think merging those two companies might have on society?

E. Do you think giant companies should be allowed to merge together? What do you think the problems are with companies like this combining?

F. Do you have concerns that one person owns things like Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, etc.?

G. How do you think governments around the world should handle giant, valuable companies that are privately owned when they become so powerful in many ways like financially, internet connections that governments use, and the exploration of space, including the Moon and Mars?

NOW WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT:

Opinion Writing Preview

To get started today, we need to explore a little bit about what an opinion story should look like.

Check out this site: https://makemynewspaper.com/how-to-write-an-opinion-piece-for-a-school-newspaper/

As you read through the site AND watch the videos, please answer the following questions on your Google Site on a new subpage called Opinion Writing Preview:

1. What is the difference between an editorial and a column?

2. List the four types of editorials.

3. What are the five things you will need to do to make sure you write a persuasive and entertaining piece?

4. On your Google Site, please give me a list of five things that you think would be great topics for an opinion piece. Think about what goes on around you each day, something you read in the news or on your social media that you think would engage students. Is there something that has made you upset or angry that you think should be written about? Remember as you come up with these ideas, there should be something that needs to be solved, a dilemma that should be addressed, or something that you think needs to be changed. I will compile these so you have options on your second Opinion piece you will write next week. That story will be published on the thedispatchonline.net.

Then go to this website:

http://www.schoolnewspapersonline.com/clients/client-list/high-schools/

Find the Texas High School section.

Click on any school in Texas (EXCEPT BOWIE) and find their opinion/commentary section.

Pick one opinion story that interests you, read it.

Answer the following in a new Google Site Subpage titled SNO Online Papers:

For each story answer the following questions:

1. Who wrote the story?

2. What is their story about?

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? Did they backtrack, or did they say one thing and then somewhere else say something that was almost the opposite? 

6. Did they support their opinion with facts?

7. Are there any quotes in the story?

8. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

Do this for THREE Texas online newspapers

Ethics in the Media. Assigned 10/15, due 10/20 at the end of the period - MAJOR

 Ethics in the Media

The Nationals Scholastic Press Association has developed a code of ethics for scholastic journalism students.

Before we dive into their code, its important to understand what the word "Ethics" means and how it applies to your writing.

The working definition of the word is as follows:

ETHICS = moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior.

But that definition has a couple of more words that could be difficult to get as well, and to be honest, ethics is a pretty big concept that is hard to define.

MORALS = a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

When we add the word Morals to our understanding, Ethics starts to become a little easier to comprehend.

PRINCIPLES = a rule or belief governing one's personal behavior.

And now that we add the word Principles into the equation, we should have a good idea of what Ethics means.

In simple terms - ETHICS is a persons beliefs about what is acceptable for them to do regarding their personal behavior. It is what drives them to make the decisions about how the behave and act.

How does this apply to journalism?

It is crucial that journalists hold themselves to the HIGHEST level of ethical decision making. So much so that it might even be higher than they would act in the real world or in their personal lives.

Here are the criteria that NSPA has set down:

Seven Key Ethics Points

1. Be Responsible
2. Be Fair
3. Be Honest
4. Be Accurate
5. Be Independent
6. Minimize Harm
7. Be Accountable

You can read more about them here:

http://studentpress.org/nspa/the-wheel-model-code-of-ethics/

Here are some common ethical problems student journalists face:

1. Conflict of interest: Examples include interviewing friends; only interviewing one grade or those with a specific point of view; covering clubs and teams that you are a member of, "getting even" with those who might have wronged you; doing anything that might compromise objectivity in the reporting of the truth.
2. Plagiarism: Claiming others' work as one's own, essentially stealing from them. Students must credit other people's materials and ideas, including those published in newspapers, magazines and books. This includes "borrowing" or downloading visuals from the Internet to use without permission with stories.
3. Anonymous/unnamed sources: Although reporters sometimes use anonymous sources, most news organizations have strict guidelines about when to use them. A reporter has to determine the information's value and whether is it possible to get it any other way. The reporter and editor also have to determine whether it is wise to protect the source from harm from being an identified source. A comment about the cafeteria's food should not be permitted to remain anonymous, for example. But a revelation about suffering childhood sexual abuse may be.
4. Offending or distasteful content: Although it's sometimes impossible to publish a story without offending or displeasing someone, journalists must strive to keep the communications open and accessible to a wide range of views without stooping to gratuitous offense. While some use of "dirty" language might be necessary, journalists have to decide if there is another way to present the information or if the presentation will be so offensive it will preclude readers from getting the information. There is almost always a higher road to take.
5. Invasion of privacy: While this is often a legal issue, it is also an ethical one. Reporters and editors must consider the consequences of publishing the outstanding news value photo or naming someone in an article.
6. Bias: Human beings cannot be purely objective. The mere selection of one story over another raises the issue of value judgments. Those who create content must attempt to be as fair, impartial and transparent to the public as is possible. Every issue has more than one side, and all sides should be represented as much as possible.
7. Commitment to accuracy: Little undermines integrity and credibility of news reports more than carelessness, errors or, in rare circumstances, deceit or not being transparent about how/why a story was done. Holding back a story until it is ready is better than publishing inaccurate information. The rush to be first - whether digital, online or in print - is no justification for not checking and double-checking data, information and sources.

Now let's look at some examples.

Directions: 

1. Pick 3 of the 19 Case Studies presented in the link below.
2. Read the prompt, decide if you want to read more.
3. Read the question presented.
4. Click to the link and read the story.
5. On your blog summarize the situation. Remember to stick with the facts in this portion, explain the situation as objectively as possible. This should be done in 3-5 sentences.
6. Then tell me your opinion, is it ethically acceptable to do what was presented or not (this is the question that is asked, the clickable link). Make sure to tell me WHY. WHY is such an important thing to specify so do your best.

Here is the link:

http://www.spj.org/ethicscasestudies.asp

If you are stuck picking your three, here are a couple that I recommend (But pick the ones you are interested in please):

Aargh! Pirates! (and the Press)
A Suspect "Confession"
The Media's Foul Ball
Offensive Images

You have TWO classes to complete this assignment and to keep working on your Club Story. 

Here are the deadlines for your Club Story

Thursday, October 22 - Planning document prepared with a correct clickable link, shared properly, with sources, questions and an outline - Minor Grade (Club Story Planning Document, minor grade)

Thursday, November 5 - At least two interviews have been completed and you have some writing done - Minor Grade (Club story check point, minor grade)

Thursday, November 12 - The story is complete and ready for edits (Club Story MAJOR grade)

Tuesday, November 17 - Reflection is due (Club Story Reflection minor grade)

News Story Selections and work day. Assigned 10/13, due 10/15 - Minor

Today you will volunteer for your first News Story to appear in the Dispatch online. You will submit your top-5 choices today during class and I will assign them as you continue to work on the Huntington and Earthquake.

These stories will cover a club or organization on campus. I have narrowed down your options to around 40, but the good news is that each of these clubs has either asked for us to cover them, or have been responsive in the past. I hope that each of you gets one of your top-5 picks. For this assignment you could focus on what the club is and what happens when that club meets, you could write a story about a specific member of the club (most likely one of the student leaders) and focus on why the club is so important to them, or you could come up with a different angle. I will let you decide. 

You will ABSOLUTELY need to go to a club meeting. You cannot do this without going to a meeting. Your first effort might be to contact the sponsor, but some sponsors are better than others about answering student reporter questions. You HAVE to go during the club meeting to get this story done. PERIOD.

You will do all of the same things you did for the fake "student of the month" story, ONLY this time it is REAL. You will need to write:

400-550 words

Minimum 3 sources - one sponsor and 2 students involved

LTQT style - with your attributions done correctly!!

NO EDITORIALIZING

You will be required to share your entire process including interview question writing, sourcing, interviews, rough draft and final draft. ALL ON THE SAME GOOGLE DOC.

First, go check out your options (If you are in a club not listed and you want to write about that club, please let me know):

Bowie Clubs for 2026-27

Then go here to put in your top-5 choices:

Top-5 choices

This shared link is editable by ALL OF YOU, so please take your time and only type in the row next to your name. Give me the Club or Organization you would like to write a story about. BE CAREFUL!!

When I assign the story, I will let you know on this link:

News/Club stories assigned

Once you know what your story is, you will go into the Google Sheet above and do the following things:

1. Make a Google Doc, share it so that anyone with the link can EDIT. Copy the link and put it in the appropriate spot on the same line as your name. It should be CLICKABLE.

2. Figure out the Club Sponsors name and type it in the appropriate spot on the same line as your name.

3. Develop a question that you think should guide your writing for this story? This could be informing people about the club, it could be something you learn when you interview the club sponsor, or perhaps it could be about what the club is and what they do in the club. You need to determine this question. You will need to type it in the appropriate spot on the same line as your name.

4. Then you will need to find at least two students to interview. I expect you to type their names in the appropriate spot on the same line as your name.

5. Then it is up to you to get started. You will have one IN-CLASS work day to write, conduct interviews, etc. in class, it will be due on TBA and you will have that day to write as well. But you CANNOT do this in class alone. You will have to do some things outside of class. I will be able to help you along the way. You will have things to turn in on the two in-class workdays and I will make sure you have them in advance. Those will be part of the grade for this assignment.

Huntington & Earthquake. Assigned 10/8, due 10/13 - Minor (1st grade of the 2nd 9 weeks)

 Huntington and Earthquake

Please make a new Google Site subpage called Huntington & Earthquake stories and complete the following two tasks:

Directions – write a 250-300 word brief using inverted pyramid and in transition-quote structure. You may use this information and make up anything else you need to complete the story.

Janice Jones is 53 years old and lives in Barstow, California, according to California Highway Patrol press liaison Tammy Rye.

Rye said Jones was eating pork chops in the back of her motor home, which was parked on Beach Boulevard near Highway 1, when her dog knocked her 9 mm handgun off a seat. The weapon discharged when it hit the floor, and the bullet passed through Jones; leg and through the side of the vehicle, according to Rye. “It could have been worse,” Rye said. “The bullet hit two inches from the gas tank.”

Jones was shot in the right leg around 10 p.m. Wednesday, Rye said.

Jones was transported to Huntington Beach Hospital via ambulance and later was transported to Irvine Medical Center, Rye said. Jim Washington, a spokesperson for Huntington Beach Hospital, confirmed Jones was treated at the hospital but gave no additional information.

Jones’ dog, a Pomeranian named Tombo, was placed in the care of the Huntington Beach Animal Control officers.

The dog seemed to be malnourished, according to Janet Ngo, one of the animal control officers, and had fresh cigarette burns on its forehead. “It could have done with a little less abuse and a few more of those pork chops,” Ngo said.

Ngo indicated that her office would explore filing animal abuse charges against Jones.

Rye said officers cited Jones for expired plates and the county’s district attorney’s office was considering whether to charge her in relation to the gun accident. Jones doesn’t have a permit for the gun, Rye said.

#2 on the same Google site subpage

Directions - Write a 350-word, inverted-pyramid story based on the following set of facts. Assume that the story is for Tuesday morning’s paper. You may make up any additional information you need to complete the story.

An earthquake rocked the San Francisco Bay area Monday morning. The quake struck at 8:12 a.m. PDT

A building housing McHenry’s Auto Supply at 2342 Plum St. partially collapsed, killing two people and injuring six others, according to  Jennifer Vu, a public information officer from the Hayward Fire Department. Names of the dead are being withheld pending notifications of families, Vu said.

Hayward resident Mike Beamer, whose apartment is across the street from McHenry’s, said he felt a rolling motion that lasted for about 30 seconds, with a big jolt coming in the middle. “I was eating my breakfast when the room started rolling. I dove under the table just as I heard an explosion outside and a chunk of cement flew through my kitchen window. That’s when the screaming start across the street.”

Hayward firefighters used ropes to stabilize the auto supply shop, conducting a search of the building and capped a gas line after detecting a gas leak at the site.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale, was under the Hayward Hills, according to Penny Gertz, a scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. Gertz called the quake a “strong one” and said it occurred on the Hayward Fault, which runs under the hills.

"Twenty-one fire personnel, 12 police and five American Red Cross workers responded to the building collapse, with some arriving within four minutes of the quake,"Vu said.

Three of the six people injured were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization and were transported to Hayward General Hospital, according to Vu. She added the no other serious injuries have been reported in Hayward.

"People as far south as Los Angeles and as far north as Redding felt the quake," Gertz said.