Standards and Procedures

Content published to The Panther Press must align with news values. News values are what make a topic or story newsworthy—that is, worthy of journalism. Many journalists identify seven news values—timeliness, impact, prominence, proximity, novelty, controversy, human interest/emotions. Most strong stories have at least two of these values. As a student journalist, you should make decisions on pitches and stories you will cover based on their news values. We will ask you to explain the news values when you make a pitch.

A note of caution: If two or more news values are not apparent in a topic, consider carefully if the story idea is a good one for the student publication. For instance, if a staff writer wants to cover electric cars, ask how many news values the story has. Is there a local angle to give the story proximity — for instance, is the district installing electric chargers in the senior lot? Has a recent change made the story timely? Does it directly impact people in your audience — for instance, will you be able to interview students or teachers who drive electric cars? Can you report on the topic through a local conflict or find a human interest angle? If not —  or if finding news values is a stretch — it might not be a great topic for our student publication (at least not yet), and editors may push you to consider other stories. A writer's passion for a topic might help to find great stories, but passion is not a substitute for news values. 

Timeliness

How recent is the event? Did it just happen? Is the event in the very near future? The closer it is to the date or time you publish, the more timely it is and the more prominence the story should have.

The Panther Press published in print roughly two months. A story can be published online, however, the same day or day after the event. Timeliness is a key news value for sports briefs and event coverage. When a reporter publishes a sports brief promptly after the event, it will be featured prominently on the website. Some stories will be stale or out of date by the print date unless you find a timely angle for the story. 

A story on the new student barbecue (late August) is timely when a story is published online two days before the event, featuring the voices of student council members who are planning it. It is also timely if published the day after the event, featuring a photo album of the event and reactions from participants. It would not be timely for a print issue in October, so it requires an angle with other news values. How did student council leaders debrief the event (prominence)? Are there other new student events planned for the fall (impact, novelty)?  Are there other new student events planned for the fall (impact, novelty, renewed timeliness)?

Impact

So what? How does the story affect the lives of our audience? That's impact. 

Almost everyone will want to know the details if spring break is being shortened due to extra snow days or if the school schedule is changing from block to something else. These stories impact everyone  at the school.

How many students does a story about the theme of senior prom impact? It certainly impacts seniors who will be attending the prom. However, your audience will also include students from all four grades, some of whom simply do not care about prom. You need to know your audience to decide whether prom theme is a lead story.

Journalists recognize the impact of a story on their audience and report this so their audience can understand it. School board meetings might not seem as exciting as Friday night football games, but if the school board changes the phone policy or reviews blueprints for the high school renovation, a journalist should report on the impact of those decisions. Most student readers may not be tracking what is going on at the state capital, but when decisions or actions there affect your audience, the journalist should help readers understand the story's impact on their lives. 

Prominence

If the people involved in the story are well-known, the story is more newsworthy. If the WSSD superintendent places in the top ten of a triathlon, the story is more newsworthy than if a parent of a sophomore places in the same race. If a recent graduate who served on student council runs for a seat on the school board, the student's prominence in the community makes the story newsworthy even if the publication does not regularly report on school board candidates.

In some cases, prominence relates to conflict of interest. The people who are prominent to you may not be as prominent to other readers. You might decide that your friend's participation in a program is a newsworthy story — however, an editor might ask if the story would be just as newsworthy if another student was involved. 

For a student publication, prominence is hyperlocal. This means that the quarterback of Haven's varsity football team is more prominent for our publication than the quarterback of the Eagles. Both quarterbacks may impact the mood of the school on Monday morning, but Haven's quarterback has more prominence by scale. You can get a direct quote from Haven's quarterback; you will not have that access to a professional athlete. (If the Eagles quarterback happens to visit King Field on a Friday night, we're talking about something else.)

A foundational principle of student journalism is that everyone has a story. Sometimes journalists have the privilege of elevating the prominence of community members by introducing them, or by reporting on their activities that others may not have known about before. 

Proximity

How near is the story to our school? Proximity means the event occurred close to your geographic location. An internet outage at our school at noon on a Tuesday is more newsworthy than one at a nearby Delco school or in the School District of Philadelphia, even if the Philly outage covers a wider area and lasts longer. A protest in Media is more newsworthy than a protest in Bucks County. Readers want context for the events that happen near them. 

Sometimes you can make distant stories more proximal by finding a local angle. Hurricanes may not have directly affected Delaware County in 2024, but alumni of our school faced disruption to their college experience. This helped a reporter to find a local angle with proximity.

Novelty

Is something new, odd, or surprising happening? Readers appreciate intriguing and unexpected news. The quality of being unusual can, by itself, make something newsworthy. A sophomore who rides a unicycle to school might be a good news story because of novelty and proximity, even if it lacks other news values.

One place to find examples of novel stories is AP's Oddities page. The Panther Press hit the news value of novelty square on the head when reporters covered a black widow spider found in the cafeteria. The Spoke captured novelty when they reported on two students who busked in Rittenhouse Square. 

Controversy or Conflict

Readers are often interested in all kinds of conflicts — disagreements, arguments, contests, fights, and rivalries. Combined with impact and proximity, controversy can be a very strong news value. 

Sports stories have built-in conflict between teams, which is why you will often read sports coverage that uses words like battle, contest, and victory. After sports, politics probably provides the most opportunity to portray conflicts.

Every controversy has at least two sides, but many have more than two sides. Topics that might seem trivial assume greater news value when reporters cover all sides involved. For instance, empty planters in front of the school might not seem to have much news value on their own. But if school administrators want to remove them because they are an eyesore, while alumni members of a club that installed them a decade ago have started a petition to keep them in place, while the engineering teacher wants to turn them into benches — then there is a conflict. If those empty planters are a source of controversy, they have news value. Reporting on all sides can help your audience to form their own educated opinions. 

Human Interest or Emotions

Readers respond emotionally to human-interest stories that are poignant, comical, or inspiring. Stories with the news value of human interest cover people's problems, concerns, interests, backgrounds, and achievements so that the reader feels a sense of connection or emotion. Human interest stories are the backbone of feature writing, and often provide the warmest part of a publication's coverage. Strong reporting and good writing create memorable human interest stories that give a human face to news events.

Retirement profiles usually carry both human interest and prominence. The Spoke captured strong human interest in this story about how the community rallied around a middle school student facing serious illness.

The Panther Press generally publishes the following content. Journalism is evolving and we can always explore new formats.

General News Stories

General news stories have two or more news values, including timeliness. and three or more sources. But general news stories do not necessarily involve an unexpected and immediate event. General news stories appear in all sections of our print and online paper. Journalists generally complete general news stories on the print timeline.

• SEPTA fare changes, potential service cuts may leave impact on Wallingford-Swarthmore community 

• College rowing commits raise question of whether Haven should reinstate club

• Staff discusses effects of possible US Department of Education dismantlement

• District installs new bus cameras

Breaking News Stories

Breaking news stories — usually published online — communicate new information about events, often unexpected events, as they occur or shortly afterward. Breaking news stories emphasize timeliness, usually published the same day or within 24 hours of the event. However, speed is never an excuse for inaccuracy. Editors may determine that a breaking news story should be published as general news to allow more time for accurate reporting. The Panther Press sometimes uses social media to cover breaking news, with a follow-up story later. Developing news stories relate new information about a breaking news story as it becomes available. 

• Joe Biden comes to Strath Haven

• Community members criticize school board, superintendent during special meeting

• Breaking News: East alumna Sarah Milgrim was killed last night in D.C.  (The Harbinger. Note that this story uses reputable external sources as well as localizing quotes, facts about the alumnus, and a statement from the principal. Student journalists were not the first to report the news, but they localized the story in ways that the professional media could not. It should use the date in the lede.)

Feature Stories

Feature stories are based on solid reporting and news values — but their importance does not stem primarily from timeliness. Since reporters are not trying to cover breaking news, they have time to report and write with greater depth. Features may include personality profiles, ongoing issues, class or club features, how-to stories, consumer or community features, and historical features. Keep in mind that feature writing should remain objective. 

• Coffee Shop to College: Senior Dawson Ainslie chose his major in finance by working in the coffee shop (personality profile, The Harbinger)

• All the demands on one common time (ongoing issues)

• Introduction to Guitar offers musical opportunities (class feature)

• Jonas Szepessy’s illustrations bring stories to life (personality / artist feature)

• Senior shares his bond with Volvo 240 (personality / car feature)

• Welcome to Walliworld (community feature)

• A closer look at history of Strath Haven murals (historical feature)

Sport and Event Briefs + Photo Stories

Sport and event briefs are published online within 24-hours (48-hours maximum) of an athletic event or student life event. The reporting is factual, including statistics and scores. Quoted sources should include at least two key people involved with the event, and preferably three. Event organizers, club leaders, and sports captains are often your go-to sources for briefs. Reporting is generally 250-500 words. Our briefs typically include a captioned photo album of at least five photos. Often these photos will be re-used in print publication.  Note that briefs that are filed more than 48 hours after the event, or filed after the next athletic match, may not be published at editors' discretion.

• Girls lacrosse dominates in round one of state tournament

• Annual Rex Storch Memorial Swim-a-Thon fundraises to fight cancer

• Hi-Q wins semi-final round, moves onto county championship round 

Staff Editorials

The staff editorial is unsigned and is the voice of the publication. The editorial represents the consensus or unanimous perspective of the Editorial Board. It includes plenty of background information and includes a call to action. Most editorials will fall under one of these categories: explanation or interpretation, criticism, persuasion, or praise. The body of an editorial should include a fair statement of the opposing point of view and a respectful statement of why it is wrong.

• Teachers are fighting for all of us (explanation)

• A Crimson Reminder: The dramatic removal of Harvard president Claudine Gay reveals dangers of politics in education (interpretation, The Harbinger)

• 22-year-old homework policy needs revision (criticism)

• A stronger alumni network starts with us (persuasion)

• Hold your Student Council accountable (persuasion, UHigh Midway)

• A Digital Shield: Teenagers should embrace Instagram’s new “Teen Accounts” restrictions due to their protection from sensitive content and mental health risks (praise, persuasion, The Harbinger)

Signed Opinion / Op-Ed

The signed opinion or op-ed is an opinion that is the work of one writer — generally a member of the staff or a well-informed member of the school community. Op-eds need to follow the same standards of accuracy, fairness, and the rest of our ethical standards — and never be sarcastic or snarky. Op-eds are timely and local, adding perspective to a current issue in the community. It may comment on issues in the national or regional media, but only when the writer can provide local perspective on the problem. 

Columns are regularly-appearing op-eds by the same person or series of people. Columnists usually focus on their specialty — one columnist might write about fashion trends; one might write about high school sports rivalries;  one might write about school board politics.

Opinions must always be labeled as opinion, and should ideally be published in a distinct section of the print publication. We typically add OPINION to the headline of op-eds and include this disclaimer at the end of stories published online: Each opinion represented in The Panther Press is the view and voice of the writer. Opinions, as well as the selection and curation of content by the editors, do not represent the views of the entire Panther Press staff, the adviser, the school, or the administration.

• Haven must more thoughtfully balance STEM, humanities

• Outdoor learning is necessary during spring

• Avoid generative AI, prioritize humanity in art (column, UHigh Midway - reporters rotate writing a regular column headlined 'Just a Thought')

• Jeff's Gist: Till discipline do we part (column, The Spoke - writer published a regular column in each issue headline 'Jeff's Gist')

Editorial Illustration or Cartoon

An editorial illustration enriches an op-ed or editorial and is meant to draw the viewer into the article and to emphasize its point. An editorial cartoon may stand on its own or it may comment on a news story that concerns the audience but is not covered elsewhere in the publication. An editorial cartoon attempts to make a single, pointed comment about the issue. A cartoon may be the only exception to our ban on satire or snark, but it should always follow our ethical guidelines, particularly minimizing harm.

• Learning lessons in grief (editorial illustration, We Are Millard South)

• Spring break is not asynchronous time (editorial illustration)

• Current school safety policies not effective as violence deterrent (editorial cartoon, The Southerner)

• Hazards of Tanning (editorial cartoon, The Harbinger)

Question and Answer (Q&A)

Q&A stories work best when prominence is a key news value — when your subject is a recognizable and interesting figure, and when editors are confident that answers to questions can stand on their own without additional reporting. Q&A stories are not pure transcription. As a reporter, you still have the responsibility to narrow down the conversation to the most important parts. You should also always write a compelling lede to draw readers into the Q&A. (Here's a great NYT 'how to' on the subject.)

• Around the world with Donald Trump (The Friar's Lantern)

• New Year, New Position: A Q&A with new Superintendent Dr. Michael Schumacher (The Harbinger) 

• Q&A: Cathy Kuhlmeier, involved in 1988 U.S. Supreme Court landmark case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, details what the media failed to capture about her experience with school censorship (The Eagle Eye)

Man on the Street (MOTS)

A man on the street (MOTS) block generally involves asking the same question to five or more people, recording their responses, and capturing on-the-spot headshots of each responder that can be used in the print and/or online story. A MOTS can stand on its own in a regular feature — The Panther Press did a 'Take 5' MOTS on each editorial page of the 2024-2025 school year. A MOTS can add some student perspective to any story, and is a useful way to localize a topic. 

• Political discrepancies, environmental challenges place Earth Day on back burner (single MOTS at end of op-ed)

• Off or On? (two MOTS used in feature story)

• Homework vs. Everything Else (two MOTS used in feature story)

• Reading Review (asks the same question to several responders, uses book covers instead of headshots)

Reviews

A reviewer evaluates a creative work, experience, or product for the audience. Reviewers report on books, music, art, theater, dance, television and movies, fashion, video games, restaurants, travel and more. In order for your opinion to matter enough to publish, you need to write clearly and expressively, be well-informed on the subject, and trustworthy. Reviews must follow all ethical guidelines. A review is never about how clever or intelligent you are; it is a fair perspective on the subject you are reviewing. 

The Panther Press does not review student artistic productions (concerts, plays, musicals, etc.) at Strath Haven. We cover these events as news. Creativity in our coverage comes through unique angles. 

• George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” more than just a riveting performance

• Departure offers shareable, tapas-style experience in Media

• March Meltdown: A review of three March-themed fast food drinks (The Harbinger)

• Review: Kendrick Lamar takes victory lap with ‘GNX’ (The Spoke)

Video Stories

Any reporter with a smartphone and some patience can make a short video story. Video stories for The Panther Press generally consist of stand-ups (interviews), b-roll (visuals), and a voiceover to introduce and narrate the story. Hold your camera horizontal, stay steady with a tripod, and remember to use correct interview framing. For event videos, reporters may need to use some more specialized equipment. We always publish our video stories with a short introduction (lede, nutgraf) and sometimes with a photo album.

• Haven students honor MLK with day of service in Chester

• French students experience Quebec

• Silvertones spread love through song

• Haven chorus, orchestra showcase winter concert to community (event videos)

Podcasts

The Panther Press has published "The Panther Pod," a sports interview podcast that follows a Q&A model, since winter 2024. We have the equipment, a studio space, and plenty of room for other podcast ideas. Generally, a podcast publishes a series of episodes on a theme. Not all podcasts are journalism, and this is the standard our editors weigh when considering a podcast proposal: Will the series follow the same ethical standards as any other journalistic writing? 

• The Panther Pod

• This I Believe (focuses on a personal essay in each episode, Odyssey Media Group)

• Letter to My Younger Self (Odyssey Media Group)

• Story Behind the Story (student journalists report on their roles on staff, The Rubicon)

• Game On (video games, The Rubicon)

Playlists and Puzzles

For the last several years, The Panther Press has published a student-created crossword puzzle online and in print. For the last several years, The Panther Press has published a seasonal playlist linked to each print issue. These entertainment features are based on student interest and editors' discretion.

Obituaries

In the event of a student's death during high school: A student staff member will produce a quarter-page obituary/memorial—roughly 200-250 words—for the next standard print issue after the student’s death that includes a school portrait photo of the student and a summary of appropriate facts about the student. 

• This includes but is not limited to: the student’s name, date of birth, date of death, school, and notable biographical information. 

• The obituary may include objective reporting on school-related details, such as classes, activities, sports, or school accomplishments, and/or memorial programming if it takes place at the school.

The journalist will report on the student’s death in an objective manner that is consistent with this policy.

Although student journalists do not need to become legal experts, there are a few key points and cases that every student journalist should know. 

The First Amendment and Journalists

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Journalism is the only profession singled out for protection in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights originally offered protection to the press, suggesting it protected the people who distributed journalism through various kinds of printing presses. The press now means journalism, no matter how it is published — in a printed newspaper or magazine, in a yearbook, on websites, as podcasts, as live broadcasts, even on social media.

The First Amendment restrains the government from making restrictions on press freedom — all forms of government from the FBI to your journalism adviser who, as a public school teacher, is a government employee. It does not restrain individuals or businesses. 

Student Press Law Center

The Student Press Law Center is the nation’s only legal organization devoted exclusively to defending and advancing the free press rights of student journalists. Their website is rich with resources for training, education, and advocacy. They also provide one-on-one support and legal expertise through a free legal hotline, prepublication review, and an attorney referral network. Every student journalist should bookmark their site and become familiar with their resources.

22 Pa. Code § 12.9

Read the full Pennsylvania school code that applies to students' freedom of expression here.

Here's the section that specifically applies to newspapers: 

(g)  School newspapers and publications must conform to the following:

   (1)  Students have a right and are as free as editors of other newspapers to report the news and to editorialize within the provisions in paragraphs (4) and (5).

   (2)  School officials shall supervise student newspapers published with school equipment, remove obscene or libelous material and edit other material that would cause a substantial disruption or interference with school activities.

   (3)  School officials may not censor or restrict material simply because it is critical of the school or its administration.

   (4)  Prior approval procedures regarding copy for school newspapers must identify the individual to whom the material is to be submitted and establish a limitation on the time required to make a decision. If the prescribed time for approval elapses without a decision, the material shall be considered authorized for distribution.

   (5)  Students who are not members of the newspaper staff shall have access to its pages. Written criteria for submission of material by nonstaff members shall be developed and distributed to all students.

What is libelous material?

Libel is the publication – in words, photos, pictures or symbols – of false statements of fact that harm another’s reputation. Libel is a form of defamation. Slander is the spoken version of defamation.

There are four elements a person must establish to prove they have been defamed: 1) Publication; 2) Identification; 3) Harm; 4) Fault.  Read this SPLC guide.

What is obscene material?

Obscenity is a narrow category of sexually explicit expression that the Supreme Court has ruled is not protected by the First Amendment. Via the Freedom Forum, obscenity "deals with a shameful or morbid interest in sex, depicts sexual matter in a patently offensive way, and has no serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." Obscenity leaves some gray area as to where to draw the line, but the line has been drawn for student expression — see Bethel v. Fraser below.

What is substantial disruption or interference?

See Tinker v. DesMoines below.

Tinker v. DesMoines (1969)

Read a detailed description of the Supreme Court case Tinker v. DesMoines, including a link to the full ruling, here.

Takeaway: Public school students maintain their First Amendment rights within a school’s jurisdiction, although school officials retain authority to maintain a safe and effective school environment.

Quick version: In 1965, three students — Mary Beth Tinker, 13; John F. Tinker, 15; and Christopher Eckhart, 16 — wore black armbands to school to protest deaths in the Vietnam War and in support of the Christmas Truce called for by Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Des Moines Independent Community School District officials required Mary Beth to remove the armband, then suspended her. Four years later, the Supreme Court held that the students’ speech was protected. Students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” and school officials may not punish or prohibit student speech unless they can clearly demonstrate that it will result in material and substantial disruption of normal school activities or invade the rights of others.

The Tinker decision still stands, but is not without limitation. Tinker:

• does not allow student free speech to create "a substantial disruption or a material interference with school activities." Shouting "Fire!" in a crowded auditorium would not be protected. Neither would publishing an article advocating that everyone march out of their second block class. Both would create substantial disruption.

• does not apply to private schools.

Bethel v. Fraser (1986)

Read a detailed description of the Supreme Court case Bethel v. Fraser, including a link to the full ruling, here.

Takeaway: The First Amendment does not prohibit school officials from restricting public high school students from using vulgar and lewd sexually provocative speech, particularly when given to a captive student audience in a school-sponsored setting. Tinker does not protect this sort of student speech.

Quick version: In 1983, Matthew Fraser made a nomination speech during a mandatory assembly to around 600 students at Bethel High School in Washington. Fraser admitted that he “deliberately used sexual innuendo in the speech.” The school suspended him for three days and did not allow him to speak at graduation. The Supreme Court reversed lower courts' decisions that the school district had violated Fraser's rights, holding that “[t]he pervasive sexual innuendo in Fraser’s speech was plainly offensive to both teachers and students indeed to any mature person,” and that his speech was “wholly inconsistent with the ‘fundamental values’ of public school education.”

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

Read a description of the Supreme Court case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, including a link to the full ruling, here, and an article that analyzes the case's impact on student publications here.

Takeaway: When a student newspaper is sponsored by the school, school officials have some legal rights to censor content.  Hazelwood only applies to: (1) school-sponsored student media that are (2) not public forums for expression by students. Curricular and extracurricular student media that qualify as public forums retain much stronger First Amendment protections.

Quick version: In 1983, students in the Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School in Missouri published articles in their school newspaper about teen pregnancy and the effects of divorce on teens. The principal removed the articles from the paper because he thought they were inappropriate for high school students and because he was afraid that readers could identify the unnamed students who were interviewed. Members of the student staff sued. In January 1988, the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that the principal did have the right to censor the student paper (as well as other student publications) under certain circumstances. The Court stated that Hazelwood East paper was not intended as a public forum — that is, a publication where student editors have the authority to make their own content decisions and in which everyone could share their views. Rather, the paper was a limited forum for journalism students to write articles that met the requirements of their Journalism II class. 

In a limited forum, the paper could be censored by school administrators if it was "ungrammatical, poorly written, biased or prejudiced, vulgar or profane, or unsuitable for immature audiences," or if it advocated "conduct otherwise inconsistent with the shared values of the civilized social order." The Hazelwood decision also stated: "In addition, a school must be able to take into account the emotional maturity of the intended audience in determining whether to disseminate student speech on potentially sensitive topics, which might range from the existence of Santa Claus in an elementary school setting to the particulars of teenage sexual activity In a high school setting."

Read how The Panther Press covered the Hazelwood decision in 1988 with a front-page story and an editorial.

New Voices in Pennsylvania

Via the Student Press Law Center: New Voices is a student-powered nonpartisan grassroots movement of state-based activists who seek to protect student press freedom with state laws. These laws counteract the impact of the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier Supreme Court decision, which dramatically changed the balance of student press rights. New Voices supporters include advocates in law, education, journalism and civics who want schools and colleges to be more welcoming places for student voices.

Also via SPLC: Pennsylvania administrative code (22 Pa. Code § 12.9) bars censorship of student media “simply because it is critical of the school or its administration,” but this provision has not proven strong enough to stop all undue censorship of student journalists. In addition, the administrative code continues to allow for prior review of student media and fails to protect student media advisers from retaliation when they support their student journalists’ press freedom. A strong state law is the best way to protect student journalists and their advisers, and support a robust and free student press.

Eighteen states have passed New Voices legislation as of summer 2025. The Pennsylvania team continues to advocate for New Voices legislation in our state, and they are always seeking more advocates. Students who would like to get involved should contact panewvoices@gmail.com or president@paschoolpress.org.

Law tells us what we CAN do; ethics tells us what we SHOULD do. What is legal might not be ethical. Having the right to say something doesn't make it right to say it. -NSPA Model Code of Ethics (2023)

To that end, The Panther Press uses the National Scholastic Press Association's Model Code of Ethics as our code of ethics for making decisions about journalism. There's a lot to it, and you may not need to read it all at once — but all student journalists are accountable to learning from this code. Read or print the full code of ethics here.

NSPA's Key Ethics Points

1. Be responsible.

2. Be fair.

3. Be honest.

4. Be accurate.

5. Be independent.

6. Minimize harm.

7. Be accountable.

1. Be responsible

1.1 Understand that student journalists are custodians, not owners, of their news medium. 

Student journalists have an inherent obligation in decision-making to consider the heritage of their news medium, the values of the school community, the tenets of the school’s mission, the pedagogic concerns of school officials, and the wants and best interests of readers/listeners/viewers.

1.2 Keep yourself, the reporter, out of your content, regardless of platform.

It’s not about you. It’s about the readers/listeners/viewers you serve. 

For the most part, student reporters and editors should not appear in the media they represent unless they are legitimate newsmakers. In those cases, the particular student journalists should have no influence on the coverage, and any conflict of interest should be disclosed.

1.3 Strive for substantive stories that produce insight, generate accountability and inspire reader interest and engagement. Do not yield to those who would suppress such insight or resist accountability.

1.4 Remember that the protections of the First Amendment were created to serve not the press but rather the people, and as a journalist, guard the people’s interests above all others.

1.5 Know the legal rights of student journalists and balance those rights with ethical responsibilities. Just because you have the right to publish doesn’t mean that you should. 

Don’t worry about being first. Worry about being right. Person first, journalist second.

1.6 Relentlessly defend the First Amendment rights of students. Relentlessly protect media advisers from recriminations brought about by their advocacy of student rights.

1.7 Demonstrate credibility and exemplify trustworthiness, reliability, dependability and integrity in and beyond journalism work. Your personal attributes affect the integrity of the news medium you work for.

1.8 In covering stories about wrongdoing and pranks, consider what readers need to know, but also consider how coverage might perpetuate or expand the misdeeds.

1.9 Do not allow vulgar or profane language and/or an image to overshadow the essence of a story, a commentary or a post. If used, it should have a compelling purpose and rationale to justify the audience’s need to read/hear vulgar or profane words. 

1.10  Maintain a commendable work ethic — pursuing excellence, taking initiative, keeping to task, meeting deadlines and taking care of the workplace and equipment. Inspire fellow staff members to do the same.

1.11  Cultivate respect for your adviser, fellow staffers, school officials and others. Build a bridge of communication with your administration. Create partners and never be combative. Be professional.

Nurture an effective working relationship within the staff. Keep emotions in check. Support team effort in gathering and reporting news. Be loyal in protecting the best interests of your news medium.

1.12  Exemplify effective leadership through the power of performance rather than the power of position. Express genuine interest in every staff member. Be sensitive to other points of view. Inspire teamwork and intrinsic motivation. Prioritize mentoring over clout.

1.13  Harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying, is prohibited. 

Sexual harassment encompasses a range of behaviors, and bullying can take a range of forms. Learn about them, and discuss them with your staff. 

Be watchful and respectful of everyone on staff, regardless of background, experience or skill level.

2. Be fair.

2.1 Begin the search for truth with a neutral mind. Do not prejudge issues or events. Wait until the facts and perspectives have been gathered and weighed. 

Discover truth without letting personal biases get in the way. Teach people to live by truth by presenting information objectively in a context that reveals relevance and significance.

2.2 Write about issues, not personalities. Explore issues and controversies dispassionately and impartially. Don’t go into a story with a personal agenda.

2.3 Justify coverage decisions by showing newsworthiness of story. Do not use your journalistic position to inflate your ego, favor friends or advance other personal agendas that are self-serving. 

If you profile an athlete of the week, for example, be ready to show the criteria and objective process for selection. If you are a yearbook staffer, avoid a conflict of interest by working on spreads where you are not tempted to publish photos of yourself or of your friends.

2.4 Pursue a panoramic vision of issues and events to achieve balance and fairness. You may not know what the story really is about until the story unfolds as you research it and talk with sources.

2.5 Allow readers the opportunity to respond, engage and complain. Listen to the feedback.

Welcome diverse perspectives and particularly rebuttals to editorial positions. Appreciate all opinions, including those not in the majority.

2.6 When readers share feedback — be it through a letter to the editor or an online comment — refrain from getting in the last word. Allow opinions to be shared. However, when the reader feedback includes inaccuracies, consider a response that is both objective and impartial.

Be watchful of all online comments that may be generated, particularly those on controversial topics. In those cases, reasonable opinions should be welcomed, but attacks or threats against sources or staff members of the publication should be removed. In those cases, consider disabling the online commenting for that coverage. 

2.7 Take initiative to give subjects of allegations an opportunity to respond in a timely manner. Make a serious effort to contact those subjects before going with a story in order to allow a response.

2.8 Label and clearly identify all commentary — editorials, opinion columns and personal or institutional perspectives — across platforms, including social media.

2.9 Disclose any potential conflict of interest by a journalist or news medium. 

For example, conflicts of interests could involve personal relationships with news subjects or sources, associations with organizations, gifts and perks, and vested interests in issues or events.

2.10  Appreciate the fact that at any given time a reporter sees only a part of what can be seen. Don’t jump to conclusions.

3. Be honest.

3.1 Do not plagiarize. 

Plagiarism is defined as the word-for-word duplication of another person’s writing or close summarization of the work of another source without giving the source credit. 

A comparable prohibition applies to the use of visuals, illustrations and graphics. 

Information obtained from a published work must be independently verified before it can be reported as a new, original story. This policy also forbids lifting verbatim paragraphs from a wire service or news report without attribution or pointing out that wire stories were used in compiling the story. 

Material from online sources should be treated in the same way as if it were published in more traditional broadcast media. 

Because plagiarism can significantly undermine the public trust of journalists and journalism, editors should be prepared to consider severe penalties for documented cases of plagiarism, including suspension or dismissal from the staff. Plagiarism is not only unethical, it is illegal if the material is copyright protected. 

3.2 Do not fabricate any aspect of journalistic work without full disclosure. 

The use of composite characters or imaginary situations or characters should not be allowed in news or feature stories. Don’t use your lead to paint a vague scenario. Use reporting to fuel the writing.

A columnist may, occasionally, use such an approach in developing a piece, but it must be clear to the reader that the person or situation is fictional and that the column is commentary and not reporting. 

The growth of narrative story development — the use of story-telling devices once reserved for fiction now applied to journalistic writing — works only when the storytelling is based on reporting facts. Do not mix fact and fiction. Do not embellish facts with fictional details, regardless of their significance.

3.3 Identify yourself as a reporter and do not misrepresent yourself while engaged in news media tasks. 

A source deserves to know if and when a casual conversation is actually an interview. Do not misrepresent yourself by pretending to conduct an official survey for the school when in fact you are conducting it for the student news organization.  

3.4 Do not tolerate dishonesty of any staff member. One dishonest act of an individual can profoundly damage the reputation of a whole news organization. 

Be completely honest in reporting. Remember, half-truths can be just as egregious as outright lies.

3.5 Use anonymous sources only if there is a compelling, legal reason, and only if the information given can be verified through another, known source. When you do, stand by any promise of protecting the identity of confidential sources. 

Consider a source’s perspective before promising anonymity. Verify information given by an anonymous source. Be cautious in making promises. Consult editors. Take time to consider ramifications of promises. Don’t be pressured.

The authority to grant confidentiality rests with the editor-in-chief, so reporters and their editors should consult with the top editor as you weigh the decision to offer confidentiality to a source. When using anonymity, the source must understand the seriousness of keeping anonymous and not compromising the story.

An anonymous source should never be revealed to the adviser, who has legal obligations to report certain student issues to administrators.

3.6 Be guarded about the credibility of sources, and confirm questionable assertions. 

Do not be misled by insincere or unreliable sources. Try not to make readers guess whether a source is sincere. For example, an untruthful or embellished Q&A response can taint belief in the sincerity of other contributors.

3.7 Be cautious of using satire. Because it involves irony and sarcasm, it is often misunderstood. Because it usually involves ridicule, it could be carried to an inappropriate level in a school setting. 

Because special April Fool’s Day editions can damage a paper’s integrity and credibility, and because they can pose a libel risk, they are strongly discouraged.

3.8 Do not electronically alter the content of news and feature photos in any way that affects the truthfulness of the subject and context of the subject or scene. If anything is altered, it must be labeled as an illustration. 

Technical enhancements, such as contrast and exposure adjustments, are allowed so long as they do not create a false impression. Photo content may be altered for creative purposes as a special effect for a feature story — if the caption or credit line includes that fact and if an average reader would not mistake the photo for reality. 

Strive to record original action in photos, and make sure readers are aware if a photo is staged or posed.

3.9 If using a recording device, get the interviewee’s permission or make it obvious with the placement of the device that you intend to record. Know state laws regarding the legality of secretly recording private conversations.

3.10  Do not be cavalier about truth. Truth builds trust — an essential component of free and responsible media.

3.11   Know that journalistic truth must be accurate, should promote understanding and should be fair and balanced.

3.12  As journalists cover and explore generative AI, news organizations are assessing its benefits, its challenges and the ramifications upon both content and users.

Some are exploring it. A few are using it. Some are excluding its use completely.

With powerful new technology, however, it is a question of maintaining and building credibility with readers and viewers. Some suggested approaches —

•  It’s fully acceptable to report about AI, its uses and its pitfalls, especially in academic settings, where the effects can be profound.

•  Journalists themselves should remain fully responsible for all content. Ensure that any AI-generated content is factually accurate and free from biases. Adhere to your existing ethical standards.

•  Identify all AI-generated content, just as you would identify sources of information and quotations. Be specific. Don’t rely on vague labels or bylines “with AI assistance.”

•  The unattributed use of AI-generated content in your story is plagiarism. It presents other people’s text as your own, and staff policies should be applied in response.

•   Be watchful on how commercial news organizations are using and identifying AI. 

It is a moving target, and your staff responses should be reviewed and assessed regularly.

4. Be accurate.

4.1 Remember that accuracy is often more than just a question of getting the facts right. Accuracy also requires putting the facts together in a context that is relevant and reveals the truth.

4.2 Be a first-hand witness whenever you can. Gather raw facts. News releases, press conferences, official statements and the like are no substitute for first-hand accounts and original investigation.

4.3 Review the story to ensure that information is presented completely and in a proper context that will not mislead the news consumer.

4.4 Know your source’s history to help assess the credibility as a source. If the subject has a reputation for embellishing information, make sure to verify information with another source.

4.5 Be willing to read back quotes to check for accuracy. Sometimes a source may not be saying what the source intended in meaning. 

However, do not offer the source the opportunity to prior review content. That invites the source to coerce content. Report such attempts to influence to the editor and adviser. If content is technical in nature, the editor may give the reporter permission to allow a source to review the technical components to ensure accuracy.

4.6 Record accurate minutes of student-media staff meetings that involve policy decisions and other actions that will have a lasting effect.

4.7 Verify questionnaires answered by sources. Make sure no one posed as another person. Check comments for sincerity and accuracy.

4.8 Tell not only what you know but also what you do not know. Invite a source or news consumer to fill you in on something the source knows but you don’t.

4.9 Engage in fact-checking every story. Train copy editors to spot red flags and to verify questionable information.

4.10  Be cautious about information received via online sources. Not all sources are consistently credible. Verify questionable information by consulting other sources.

5. Be independent.

5.1 Recognize inherent differences between the commercial news media and the scholastic news media, and understand that the latter will always be subject to some oversight by school administrators. 

Demonstrate to administrators how it is in their best interests and the school community’s best interests to recognize student independence, within the parameters of law, in controlling the content of their student-produced news medium.

5.2 Work to have your student news medium recognized as a public forum, which will provide greater independence in controlling editorial content.

5.3 Resist prior review as a practice of administrative oversight in favor of less intrusive and more effective oversight strategies. Prior review dilutes student responsibility and puts more responsibility in the hands of administrators. 

Pose this question: Should the journalism experience teach responsibility or obedience?

5.4 Hold no obligation to news sources and newsmakers. Journalists and their news media should avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.

5.5 Accept no gifts, favors or items of value that could compromise journalistic independence, journalistic ethics or objectivity in the reporting task at hand. For example, a reporter covering a student group’s food event should not partake in that portion of the event.

5.6 Declare any personal or unavoidable conflict of interest, perceived or certain, in covering stories or participating in editorial or policy decisions.

5.7 Learn state legislation regarding student-press freedom, freedom of information, open meetings and shield laws. 

If your state has student press legislation, learn it, share it and promote it. If it doesn’t, become part of the New Voices campaign to get it.

News media serve an essential function as a watchdog of government, and student journalists should not be asked to engage in any activity that is the responsibility of outside agencies, such as law enforcement, school administration and government. 

Cooperation or involvement in working with these agencies should be restricted to what is required by law. Legal agencies, such as the Student Press Law Center, may be contacted for advice.

5.8 Avoid working for competing news media or for people, groups or organizations that the journalist covers.

5.9 Show courage and perseverance in holding school officials and other decision-makers accountable when student control of student news media is threatened. Remember, students who produce non-public forum news media still have some rights regarding content decisions.

5.10  Give no favored news treatment to advertisers or special interest groups.

5.11  Guard against participating in any school organizations or activities that would significantly create a conflict of interest. 

In other words, your participation in a group will affect your perspective as a reporter, through personal perspective and/or pressure from within the group or its coach or sponsor. Student journalists who participate in athletics and organizations should refrain from covering those groups.

Transparency is the key. Educate your staff on conflicts of interest, both apparent and perceived. All staff members should share and discuss them, and then plan any coverage accordingly. 

5.12  Clearly identify all commentary, and clarify how that commentary originated. Identify and explain the source of staff editorials. Identify editorial columnists as such, and clarify on the editorial pages that columnists represent individual viewpoints, not the opinions of the editor, the staff, the adviser or the administration.

6. Minimize harm.

6.1 Look beyond the likely effects of each story, keeping alert to identify and respond to any unintended or undesirable consequences the story may hold in the shadows. 

Identify options for dealing with undesirable consequences. Determine if full disclosure of information may jeopardize student welfare unnecessarily. If so, decide what can be held back without jeopardizing the public’s right to know.

6.2 Report immediately to school authorities any person who threatens safety — personal safety and/or the safety of others.

6.3 Do not put student reporters in physical danger or legal jeopardy through undercover stories. They may be unethical and may pose significant risks. Student journalists must obey the law. 

For example, a student journalist, who as a minor purchases liquor illegally to show readers/listeners which stores violate the law, also self-incriminates. 

Covering gang issues and other volatile topics requires close faculty supervision and safeguards to protect student welfare.

6.4 Be especially sensitive to the maturity and vulnerability of young people when gathering and reporting information. Take particular care to protect young sources from their own poor judgment when their comments can put themselves and others in jeopardy. 

6.5 Do not allow sources to use a news medium in malicious ways or ways that serve self-interest above the best interests of news consumers. Be on constant guard to spot clandestine efforts to publish inappropriate messages.

6.6 Show respect and compassion for students who may be affected detrimentally by news coverage.

6.7 Be sensitive when covering stories involving people in distress, and reject unreasonable intrusion by student media in their lives.

6.8 In preparing coverage of suicide, be especially respectful of the victim, the survivors and the community. In all forms of coverage, inform your readership or audience without sensationalizing the suicide or the manner of death. Use a reputable resource on suicide prevention to provide sidebar information on warning signs, what to do and whom to call. 

Consider follow-up reporting on suicide as a public-health issue, with advice from suicide-prevention experts.

6.9 Balance the public’s right to be informed with an individual’s right to be let alone. Understand and respect the different privacy expectations for private citizens, for public figures and for public officials when covering issues and events.

6.10  Be cautious about identifying students accused of criminal acts or disciplinary infractions. Avoid naming minors, and check your local jurisdiction for the legal definition of a minor.

If a student is legally an adult, be ready to show a compelling reason for identifying the name. Relevancy and news value can constitute a compelling reason. 

For example, if an 18-year-old student were suspended from school for drinking at a school dance, the name likely would not be used in a news story. However, if the student is the homecoming king, the news element of prominence may justify using the name. 

The names of some crime victims, especially victims of sex crimes, should be protected from disclosure when prudent. Do not implicate by association. Avoid indirect or vague generalizations that could lead to identification.

7. Be accountable.

7.1 Admit mistakes and publicize prompt corrections.

An inaccuracy is not uncommon in news coverage. But an inaccuracy should never be published knowingly, and both corrections and clarifications should be acknowledged and published swiftly. 

If any error is found, correct it as soon as possible, regardless of the error’s source. Clarifications, though differing from corrections, should be acknowledged, explained and published in similar fashion. 

In both print and digital, run corrections and clarifications in a standard location, such as an early inside page in print and a designated space on the site. Edit the digital material at its original location, with an introductory editor’s note and date of the change. 

A magazine or yearbook should publish corrections similarly on their sites. They may consider publishing corrections as well through their partner news organization, such as a newspaper, which is published more frequently.

7.2 Expose unethical practices of student journalists and student news media, and make remedies.

7.3 Use press passes for admission or special privileges only in the capacity of a working journalist.

7.4 Provide news consumers with opportunities to evaluate student news media through feedback.

7.5 Be friendly and sincere in welcoming criticism and weighing grievances from news consumers.

7.6 Have dialogue with student media overseers, and be prepared to justify decisions, policies and actions.

7.7 Keep notes and recordings of interviews for an indefinite time as evidence of responsible reporting.

7.8 Hold school administrators and other student-media overseers accountable for their actions and decisions, just as they hold student journalists and student media accountable for their actions and decisions.

7.9 Use anonymous sources rarely, if at all. When sources are not given, people question the credibility not only of the source but also of the news medium.

7.10  Use the power of student media judiciously, and be prepared to provide rationale for any decisions or actions taken by news staffs.

Sources are how you collect your information for a story. Sources can be the people you interview for a story. Sources can also be documents or written material. 

The Panther Press's standard is at least three sources per news or feature article. Because our publication prioritizes the voices of our school community, your story should also prioritize people that you interview as sources.. (Journalism is different from research papers.)

For briefs and personality profiles, you need at least two sources.

Select your sources so you can write the most factual and accurate story that follows ethical guidelines.

The people you interview can be:

• Experts: The most informed people about your topic

• Authoritative: Qualified to speak on the topic through experience, but not an expert

• Bozos: The least informed about the topic (use rarely)

In this story about students attending Delaware County Technical School, Mrs. Kristin Dunning is the expert source. (Another expert source might be Dr. Stephen Butz, the Director of Career and Technical Education at DCTS.) Seniors Jordyn Thurmond and Paula Hagan are authoritative sources. A bozo might be a freshman who has just learned that DCTS was an option because you asked them a question about it in the hallway.

Written sources can be:

• Primary Sources: The original material—such as a transcript of a public speech, a season record, the minutes of a school board meeting, a transcript from a school board meeting, an email sent to parents by [school administrator], the 2025-2026 Silver Guide, etc. According to the June 18 school board agenda, 16 high school teachers were compensated for writing more than 10 recommendation letters at the rate of $40 for each letter, totalling $5920.

• Secondary Sources: Reports derived from primary sources, such as articles from magazines or newspapers. According to reporting in the Philadelphia Inquirer, head basketball coach Tim Livingstone decided to make basketball coaching his full time career in 2019 after previous corporate work in sales and leadership. (It would be even better to get this information directly from Livingstone in an interview. He might tell you about how his corporate experience connects to basketball.)

Always be polite, respectful, and formal when reaching out to a source for an interview. Your written communication represents The Panther Press. Take the time to draft and re-read your email before sending it.

Contacting Students: Reporters may contact student sources via email, social media, or in person. 

Contacting Teachers and School Administrators: Reporters may contact teacher sources via email or in person, NOT on social media.

Contacting District Administration: Any reporters who wish to conduct interviews with the district administration will need to go through the Communications Department. The Communications Department is Ms. Rachel Riley (rriley@wssd.org). This applies to all central office administration and the Office of the Superintendent. That includes school board members, the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and any member of district departments (Department of Transportation, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, etc.). It does not include our high school principals or leaders. Please copy the adviser and one EIC on any interview requests sent to Ms. Riley.

Out of District Sources: Any students who wish to conduct interviews with sources that are not affiliated with the district should contact them via personal email or phone call. Remember that your wssdgmail account cannot exchange email with external sources. 

_____________________________

When you reach out to a source, be professional and thorough. Here's a template for a source contact:

[Dear] Ms./Mrs./Miss./Mr _____., (if it’s an adult)

My name is _____ and I am writing a story about ______ for The Panther Press. [NOTE: If you’re writing a source outside of school, add of Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA.]

I would like to interview you about ______ for this story.  [Feel free to add a personalizing sentence here on what makes the person a great source. With your experience in ___________, I'm confident you will help our readers to understand ______.]

When could we meet?  I am open ______  [Give the source a sense of your availability - open periods, before/after school, etc. Phone calls or Zoom meetings can be an options for sources who are remote.]

Thanks, and I look forward to talking with you. [NOTE: If you’re close to deadline, indicate this. My story deadline is _______.]

[Your Name]

_____________________________

If you do not hear back from an email contact within 24 hours, follow up with another ask. Forward your first email and be polite. Here's a template for a second source contact. If your source is a member of our school community, try to find them in person.

[Dear] Ms./Mrs./Miss./Mr _____., (if it’s an adult)

Hope you are well. 

I'm writing to follow up on my request for an interview below. I'm hoping to speak with you about ______ for an upcoming story in The Panther Press.

I am open ______  [Give the source a sense of your availability - open periods, before/after school, etc. Phone calls or Zoom meetings can be options for sources who are remote.]. I hope to hear back from you soon. [NOTE: If you’re close to deadline, indicate this. My story deadline is _______.]

Thank you,

[Your Name]

FW: [Forwarded first contact below]

_____________________________

If you do not hear back from your source after two contacts and efforts to connect with them in person, speak with your editor and/or adviser.

Sources should always know what the interview is about, but they don't always need to know everything that you know. You will need to decide how much to reveal about your story and fact finding before the interview. Always be honest and consult an editor if you need help. 

Some sources will ask you to send your questions in advance of the interview. This generally limits your interview to the list of questions you have provided in advance. Some sources may also want to set limitations for the interview, including boundaries for what can and cannot be asked. Consult with an editor or your adviser if you encounter these situations. 

_____________________________

TIP: When you are reaching out to interview a source for a Panther Press story, include a link to your staff reporting page in your email. This adds legitimacy to your role as a student journalist. You can find this page, which compiles all of the stories you have worked on, by clicking your name in a byline or by visiting the STAFF page under ABOUT. Often reporters will create an email signature that features a link to their staff page. Here's Matteo's email signature from last year: 

Matteo Ventresca

Strath Haven '25

Editor-in-Chief, The Panther Press

Good reporting is based on interviews. Journalistic writing is 80% interviewing. Interviewing takes practice, but it is a skill that will help you in many fields beyond journalism. Great stories have:

• Direct quotations: The actual words of the sources (expert, authoritative, rarely bozos) plus attribution. “We want to give the teachers [and] the kids a chance to show that they can do this without [requiring caddies],” principal Mr. Andy Benzing said. “But it might be at a point where the policy says ‘designated storage area’ doesn’t include a backpack, in which case we have to pivot. We’ll have to look into that more. Right now, the way I interpret it is [that] it could be anything that we approve.”

• Indirect quotations: Use some of the source's words, but the words are embedded in the reporter's sentence. Principal Mr. Andy Benzing said he wants to give teachers and students a chance to show they can follow the phone policy without requiring caddies.

• Paraphrases: Use the reporter's words, but accurately represent the speaker's meaning. According to principal Mr. Andy Benzing, school leadership hopes to enact the new phone policy without requiring students to use phone caddies, but may need to change course. 

Reporters should know these interview classifications:

• On the Record: Information from the interview can be used in full, quoting the source by name. Once your source has agreed to an interview, the interview will be on the record unless you agree on other terms.

• Off the Record: Information cannot be used in your story in any way.

• Anonymity: Granting anonymity means you know who your source is, but you agree not to reveal the name in your publication. Granting anonymity is very rare for a student publication. See 3.5 under 'Ethical Code' above and discuss any questions with your editors.

Many publications are moving away from other classifications like 'background' and 'deep background,' since some sources use these classifications to deflect accountability. 

____________________________

The Interview Process

1. Decide who will provide the facts for your story. (See 'Selecting Sources.') Do some research on your sources. Know each source's title and experience with the topic.

2. Draft the questions you want to ask. Do this on paper rather than on your phone or device, because you may use that device to record the interview. It's helpful to review your questions with an editor when you are first getting started. Don't contact your source until you're ready for the interview; they may be ready to meet with you right away.

• "Tell me about..." is usually a great question starter. Also: "Describe for me..." "What do you recall about..." "Walk me through..." "Can you explain...."

• Try to avoid 'yes' or 'no' questions except when you are establishing the accuracy of what you already know. Try to avoid multiple choice questions. Like: "Are you writing your Common App essays or locking down your rec letters first?" Instead: "Walk me through the steps you've taken so far in the college process."

• Avoid questions where the answer is obvious —  like: "How does it feel to win your first game?"

• Avoid questions that box in or lead your source — like: "Do you like playing football more than playing baseball?" or "Why is newspaper the best club at the school?" 

NOTE: The questions you write are for you. Do not read them word-for-word or your conversation will be stiff. Use your questions as a guide to keep the conversation on track. Some reporters advise writing down all your questions, then condensing the list into talking points.

3. Contact your source and arrange the interview. (See 'Contacting Sources.') 

NOTE: Interviews should always involve a direct conversation. In-person is best; video call (Zoom) is the next preference, followed by phone. Email may be acceptable in certain situations, but never without an editor's approval. Interviews should never be conducted by text or social media. 

4. Arrive a few minutes ahead of your scheduled time. If you're meeting with a source in their office or workplace, observe the surroundings and take some notes.

5. Start by thanking your source, then identify yourself and your story. "Thanks for agreeing to an interview. I'm a reporter for The Panther Press at Strath Haven High School, and I'm writing about ___________." Always identify yourself as a reporter. A conversation cannot be used on the record in a story If you have not identified your role. The casual chat you have with an assistant principal about dress code changes cannot be used in a story unless it was part of an on-the-record interview. You could always break that conversation to say, "I'd like to write a story for The Panther Press about this. Would you be willing to interview with me?"

6. Ask if you can record. "Do you mind if I record our conversation? I want to make sure I record quotes accurately." Use voice memos on your phone or borrow a device from the newsroom. Your source should know that you will not be publishing the recording itself, just facts and quotes you pull from the conversation. Pennsylvania is a two-party consent state, so reporters need to get permission to record prior to recording. (Note that this does not apply to public meetings held under the Sunshine Act, like school board meetings.) If your source declines recording, be prepared to take very careful notes and read back quotes during the interview.

TIP:  Put your recording device on the table or desk between you and the source. Silence your notifications. This establishes formality and undivided attention.

IMPORTANT: All interview recordings and notes must be saved until the end of the school year of publication. See 'Saving Interviews' below.

7. Ask your source to say their name, spell it, and share their title. "Before we start, can you say and spell your name? What is your title?" Ask these questions even to students, especially when their expert or authoritative role relates to their leadership. One club might use the title 'president' while another uses 'chairperson,' and you need to get this right.

8. Avoid small talk and be confident. You have already established that this is an interview for a story, and your source agreed to that interview. Be friendly but professional. (The more small talk you record, the more work you've made for yourself in transcription.) Make eye contact. Nod, smile, mirror. Ask for clarification: "Can you clarify what you meant by ____?" Check for accuracy: "Did I hear you correctly, you just said _______?" 

9.  Make sure to ask the following final questions. 

• “Is there anything you would like to add that I didn’t ask you?” (A variation: "What other questions should I have asked you?")

• “Who else would you recommend I speak with for this story?"

10. Thank your source. Offer warm thanks in-person. Then, after your story is published, consider thanking your source again via email and include a link to your published work. 

Saving Interviews

All recorded interviews must be saved and archived on Otter until the end of the school year of publication. In the event of any questions or challenges to a story, editors may need to review transcripts or recordings. Staff members will receive the account login and upload instructions during training. This applies even to short MOTS-style interviews.

Please name your files in Otter in the following format for searching: YOURLASTNAME-SOURCELASTNAME-DATE OF INTERVIEW. So if Evie interviews Mrs. Rodgers on September 3, her Otter file will be: FERNANDEZ-RODGERS-9/1/25.

Please also save all of your written notes from Interviews until the end of the school year of publication.

Review Requests

The Panther Press's policy is that sources may NOT review a completed story before publication. Do not offer this and do not agree to it. If you get a conditional request — like, "I will only agree to an interview if I can review the story before it is published," consult with your editors and/or adviser.

A source may request review of their quotes that will be used in a story. In any email correspondence about quote review, please copy an editor in chief. If a source reviews their quotes, they may also change their quotes. If a source changes or clarifies information before publication, the reporter must determine and include the information that is accurate.

Prior to publication, The Panther Press will not be reviewed by anyone outside the editorial board aside from the adviser and the principal via our current prior review practice. The adviser is allowed to review the publication, but not required to, for the sole purpose of acting as consultant and educator in terms of journalistic quality and unprotected speech. The adviser reading content is not considered prior review unless he/she directs changes.

Make sure to review the section on Attribution in the style guide.

1. Use facts, not opinions. Unless you are writing an opinion piece — and even then, you need to use facts.

• A fact can be verified, measured, or proven. Example: It is 80 degrees outside.

• An opinion is a personal viewpoint, subject to interpretation. Example: It is really hot outside.

• Opinions can be sneaky. If you report about a dance and write that everyone had a great time, you are editorializing. You can’t prove that everyone had a great time. Maybe a sophomore didn’t. How will that sophomore react to your story? Or to the newspaper as a platform for student voice?

• Report what you saw and heard, not what you think or feel. Use quotes and facts to illustrate instead of your opinions. Let the readers draw their own conclusions. This is better:

Students danced to the DJ’s playlist all the way through last call when the lights flicked on at 10:30 p.m.

“My friends and I had a great time, even though it was really hot and sweaty,” sophomore Joe Smith said. “The mosh pit was awesome.”

2. Make sure that your story answers the 5Ws+H. 

• Who did what?

• What did they do?

• Where did it happen?

• When did it happen?

• Why did they do it?

• How did it happen?

3. The Panther Press uses L(N)QTQ format for writing stories. This takes practice.

• Here is a resource and samples for L(N)QTQ

• Here is a template you can copy for your use

• In news writing, we refer to paragraphs as grafs. Grafs are short — usually 1-3 sentences. Start a new graf anytime you begin a new quote or fact. This practice relates to how stories are visually presented in print and online. Stories are generally easier to read when there are plenty of breaks in the text instead of long, heavy blocks of text.

• We encourage new contributors to write their first stories directly in the template. The template will help you to use short grafs, practice L(N)QTQ, and remember all the parts of a story.

4. The lede (L) is how your story begins.

The news lede (L) starts the story by answering the most important 5Ws+H in a sentence or two.

News Lede: John Fetterman, the democratic senatorial candidate in the rapidly approaching midterms, made a Wawa-themed appearance in the Nether Providence Elementary gym on Saturday, October 15.  [story link]

Depending on the story, reporters will also sometimes use a descriptive or anecdotal lede to draw the reader in.

Descriptive Lede: Parents, friends, and cheerleaders packed the high school gym, the sounds of chatter and cheering audible from afar. Concessions and vendors filled the third-floor halls, with smells of food wafting in the air. Cheerleaders in different, colorful uniforms could be found warming up at the middle school, relaxing in the auditorium, or performing in the gym. [story link]

Anecdotal Lede: Imagine you are a junior on an average Tuesday at Strath Haven.

You are falling behind in math and you should stay fifth block to get help. But you also have Symphonic Band, which is a class and takes attendance for a grade. Don’t forget you are the co-president of a club that meets on Tuesdays. What will you do? [story link]

5. The nutgraf (N) is one or two grafs answering the rest of the 5W+H that are important to your story.

News lede --> nutgraf: Fetterman recently suffered a stroke, and it has led to some skepticism about his ability to serve in Congress. Within minutes after taking the NPE stage, Fetterman addressed the “elephant in the room,” giving a shout-out to Penn Medicine for saving his life. He described lingering auditory processing problems from the stroke.

Descriptive lede --> nutgraf: This event, hosted by Haven’s cheerleading team on Saturday, December 7, was the Haven Cheer Challenge. Other high school and recreational cheerleading teams are invited to compete against each other in various categories, like varsity game day, JV, and non-tumbling game day. 

Anecdotal lede--> nutgraf: From offering music classes to clubs to teacher help, fifth block is one of the most unique parts of Strath Haven. However, it is also difficult for many students to participate in any activity they want.

Fifth block is a time outside of the mandatory four-block class schedule where students can have the time to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities and clubs, take a music class, and still be able to play a sport.

6. The rest of the story follows quote-transition-quote (QTQ) in short grafs. Attributed quotes drive the story along. Transitions connect quotes by paraphrasing or adding new facts.

QUOTE: “Sometimes I will miss a word, and I’ll mush two words together,” he said. “I guarantee there’s probably at least one person in this audience that’s filming me, looking for how many missed words.”

TRANSITION: Fetterman wove digs at his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, into his explanation of the long-term effects of his stroke. 

QUOTE: “What kind of a doctor who wants somebody that was sick not to get better?,” he said. 

TRANSITION: Fetterman was one of nine speakers, all of whom pushed the theme of relatability, making quips about the informal dress code and their love for Wawa. Each guest spoke on a different message relating to the November eighth election. Next to Fetterman, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Delaware Senator Chris Coons were the big names of the day. 

and so on until you have told a complete story.

7. Save a great quote for your kicker — the last graf of a story. A kicker is never a summary — save the summaries for your English essays. Here are the kickers for the stories examples above.

Fetterman: “Everyone seemed to love Fetterman,” Kedanis said. 

Cheerleading: “I’m looking forward to seeing all these central teams and all these rec teams as I never see them, but it’s one of the highlights of my days, watching these little kids go out there, perform their best, and it’s an amazing time,” Gordon said. “I can’t wait to do this again.”

Fifth block: “Before we make any kind of change, I think we have to give it due diligence: Is it really broken, or is it that we could do it better?” Benzing said. “If we give it our due diligence and we do it better, and we realize it’s still not meeting the mark, then it’s time for a change.”

8. After you have drafted your story, do your own proofreading — including spell check and style guide review. 

9. Then put your story into the correct format. Here's a copy you can make for your own use. You don't need to use that template, though — just use Google Docs styles to put each section of your story into the correct style. 

Headline [Style: Title]

Deck [Style: Subtitle]

Reporter’s Name [Style: Heading 1]

Reporter (Role) [Style: Heading 2]

Lede [Style: Heading 3]

Rest of the grafs are in normal text. [Style: Normal text]

Headlines and decks:

• promise information that the audience needs or wants. They entice the audience into the story.

• use fresh, efficient, and specific language. Every word and every character needs to be active, interesting, and essential.

• are accurate and fair. Your audience's trust is your most valuable asset.

Although there are exceptions, our publication uses a standard style for headlines.

Headlines

• Down-style: Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized, as in a sentence. The Philadelphia Inquirer uses down-style headlines; The New York Times uses up-style headlines. Consistency for a publication is most important.

• Use a noun and an active verb.

• Omit articles: a, an, the.

  • Student eats rotten apple, throws banana out window

  • Marching band adjusts to new bleachers

• Use present tense for past events.

  • Columbus discovers new route to India

  • Journalists learn strategies at seminar

  • Varsity volleyball loses to Interboro

• Use to for future events.

  • Sun to burn out in 6 billion years

  • Journalists to beat deadline in December

• When quotes are included, use single quotes and put after name and colon.

  • Liberi: Homecoming 'most successful dance ever'

  • Johnston: 'Phones are out'

• Use comma instead of and.

  • Students, teachers rally to raise money for cancer

• Use colon for said or says.

  • Ventresca: Cheese 'delicious in all ways'

Decks

The deck is a complete sentence that clues the reader in to what they are about to read. The deck does NOT repeat the headline or lede. It is usually in a different, lighter font than the headline. The deck should match and preview the tone of the article. It is written in the correct tense—if the event has already passed, the deck should be past tense. 

Read through some decks on The Panther Press website and in professional newspapers to familiarize yourself with deck strategies. 

MORE INFORMATION ON WRITING HEADLINES AND DECKS HERE.

Hyperlinks help the audience to review your sources. Hyperlinks also help our stories to get more views on the web. Our standard for story submissions is to include at least two hyperlinks in your text. Read these brief instructions on how to add a link. You can link to:

• Other stories in our publication that report on the same topic or related topics

• Written or document sources (like school board meeting minutes)

• Other publications

• Organizations' websites

Stories to examine hyperlink use:

• PIAA revises policies, responding to executive orders

• Unified handball hosts Nether Providence Police for matchup

• School Board faces backlash amid superintendent’s departure, teacher contract disputes

Photo Submissions

Every submitted story must include one original, newsworthy horizontal photo that can be included as the featured image in the online posting. You do not have to be a skilled photographer to create a photo. Smartphone photos are fine, and you will improve with practice. 

To generate ideas for your featured image, consider:

• Event or sports story: Show people engaged in activity at the event

• News story: Think about the people, the location, the things happening that are affected by the problem/point of interest. If you are writing a story about a possible change to school start times, take some photos in the morning as students are entering the school building. If you are writing a story about the school board considering changes to the phone policy, take some photos of students using their phones. 

• Review: Photograph the food. Photograph the book cover. Photograph the movie on your TV screen at home. 

• Faces are always more newsworthy than objects. For the phone policy story, a photo of students using their phones with a good caption is usually preferable to a photo of a phone on a desk.

Due to copyright laws, never submit a photo that came from an online image search. And never generate images for your story with AI — unless your story is specifically about AI. 

SPLC offers a guide to some copyright-safe materials for re-publication. Make sure to read their guidelines thoroughly. We also have approved access to the site epk.tv  which offers movie posters, video clips, and press kits that can be used on our publication's website with correct attribution. Please speak with the adviser if you need to use epk.tv resources.

The best strategy if you are struggling with ideas for a photo is to speak with the editors or adviser in advance of deadline. You must upload a photo when you submit your story. Don't fake it. We've received many photos of reporters' cats when they forgot to collect a photo for their story. 

If you are interested in photojournalism, we require that you shadow a more experienced student photographer and collaborate on a finished album of photos, including captions, before you can sign out photography equipment. (We will also recruit you as a yearbook photographer.)

Captions

You must also include a caption and photo credit when you submit your story. The formula for writing captions is:

• FIRST SENTENCE: Explain what is happening in the photo in present tense. Answer as many of the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) as applicable.

• SECOND SENTENCE: Usually past tense and gives background information about the photo or the situation. The focus should be on sharing interesting information with readers and telling a story.

• THIRD SENTENCE: Gives a quote from a witness or someone who was involved in the photograph’s activity.

We prefer three-sentence or two-sentence captions with rich details about the photo. 

If you are submitting an album of photos for a photo story, focus on one- or two-sentence captions for all photos in the album. 

You may not be able to write more than a single sentence if your featured image is a U.S. flag or a phone on a desk. Write that single sentence and consider better options for photos in the future.

Note that for space and consistency with yearbook, grades are noted differently in captions than in a story as of the 2025-2026 school year. Grades are in parentheses after the student's name. 

Silvertones member Zeb Smithey (10) sings to Arav Rajesh (10) in the gym during Singing Valentines on Feb. 13. Many Silvertones recounted the look of confusion and fear on the students’ eyes as their favorite part of the ordeal. “Whenever you walk in the room, everyone’s like, oh, who’s this going to be for? They all think, ‘please don’t be me.,’" Smithey said. “Then, when you walk up to someone and they realize it’s them, it’s the best." 

Wendy Chen (12) shakes hands with music teacher Mr. Nicholas Pignataro after his arrival on stage to commence the orchestral portion of the concert. Chen held the role of concertmaster, leading the first violin section and the orchestra's tuning, alongside Sophia Shao (10).

Please review these slides for some tips on how to get started with creating photos and captions.

This policy is intended to support both student ownership of event photography and the progress of our publications.

While a student photographer owns the copyright to their creative work, photography on behalf of Haven's student publications uses publication resources (training, time, team support, equipment, etc.). Student photographers should prioritize our publication teams over personal sharing.

The Panther Press

Photos should only be shared on a personal social media accounts/channels/portfolios after the publication of an online story/online gallery on shpantherpress.com and/or in print.

If a photographer does not edit their own photos, they are not allowed to share their work on personal social media accounts at any time. If another student or the adviser edits the photos, we will do our best to save the RAW files so the student photographer has the opportunity to edit their own photos at a future date.

Complete publication on the Panther Press includes:

• Captioned photo album or featured image published on shpantherpress.com

• Photo album correctly uploaded on our publication Google Photos account, linked on the publication photo log, that includes 20+ fully edited and cropped photos

• Includes at least 3 two-sentence captions. At least one caption should be complete three-sentence caption with a quote

A tag to your respective publication is encouraged but not required @shpantherpress.

Haven Yearbook

Photos should be complete for publication before sharing on a personal social media/channel. Finish your editing and captioning before you share for Instagram likes. 

If a photographer does not edit their own photos, they are not allowed to share their work on personal social media accounts at any time. If another student or the adviser edits the photos, we will do our best to save the RAW files so the student photographer has the opportunity to edit their own photos at a future date.

Complete for publication in Haven Yearbook includes:

• Photo album correctly uploaded on our publication Google Photos account, linked on the publication photo log, that includes 20+ fully edited and cropped photos

• Includes at least 3 two-sentence captions. At least one caption should be complete three-sentence caption with a quote

A tag to your publication is encouraged but not required @havenyearbook 

The "Cheetah Clause"

You can only share photos on your personal social media accounts/channels/portfolio after the caption work or publication of the material is completed.

Students for either publication who break these guidelines may lose their privileges of representing our publications as a photographer.

Each weekend during the school year, the adviser or editor posts a list of upcoming events during the following week to Schoology for newspaper and yearbook. The list includes athletic matches, activities, etc. All staff members should add events to this list. Your club may have a program that we did not know about — adding it to the list gives our publications an opportunity to cover it.

Covering an event means:

• attending the event

• taking observational notes

• interviewing sources during the event (and after the event as necessary)

• taking photos (smartphone photos are fine for most club or class events; photography equipment is required for most athletic, theater, and music events)

• editing and captioning photos

• writing a story

Depending on the news values of the event, you may be assigned to cover the event either as a brief — story posted within 24-48 hours — or as a news or feature story for the next print publication. You may also participate in social media or video/multimedia coverage

We encourage you to wear a press pass to all event coverage. This clearly identifies you as a student journalist at home or school events. It also enables you to press access at most external events. 

We require you to wear a press pass to varsity football games, varsity soccer games, and varsity lacrosse games at King Field, as well as any and all away events you cover.

We require you to wear a Central League press pass (provided by adviser) to away varsity games or matches. 

When working under a press pass, be professional. Dress like a pro and always be responsible, respectful, and kind. With a press pass, you don’t (usually) pay —  so it is a privilege to have one.

If you are interested in photojournalism, we require that you shadow a more experienced student photographer and collaborate on a finished album of photos, including captions, before you can sign out photography equipment independently. (We will also recruit you as a yearbook photographer.)

Plagiarism

Via NSPA's Model Code of Ethics (above):

Plagiarism is defined as the word-for-word duplication of another person’s writing or close summarization of the work of another source without giving the source credit. 

A comparable prohibition applies to the use of visuals, illustrations and graphics. 

Information obtained from a published work must be independently verified before it can be reported as a new, original story. This policy also forbids lifting verbatim paragraphs from a wire service or news report without attribution or pointing out that wire stories were used in compiling the story. 

Material from online sources should be treated in the same way as if it were published in more traditional broadcast media. 

Because plagiarism can significantly undermine the public trust of journalists and journalism, editors should be prepared to consider severe penalties for documented cases of plagiarism, including suspension or dismissal from the staff. Plagiarism is not only unethical, it is illegal if the material is copyright protected. 

Artificial Intelligence

The Editorial Board will develop expectations around AI use in summer/fall 2025. At this time, we allow the use of some AI tools like Otter.ai and Murrow to help proofread and give suggestions on journalistic writing.

1. Before the first meeting of the cycle: The process starts when the core four editors (EICs and MEs) create and post the pitch sheet for the issue. The pitch sheet is divided into the sections of the newspaper, in addition to an ‘ONLINE ONLY STORIES’ sheet and a ‘WHAT WE HAVE’ sheet. At the creation of this document, the editorial board must add story ideas to each section. 

2. Before the first meeting of the cycle: Core four editors consult to lock in a schedule for the editorial board meeting and print production sessions, as well as deadlines for story sign-ups, submission, edits, and prior review submission.

3. Before the first meeting of the cycle: Core editors create and post a submission Google Form where reporters are required to submit their articles. The submission form requires reporters to submit the link to their article, a photo with credit and a caption, whether any sources requested quote review, and more.

4. At the first meeting of the cycle: Reporters and editors can make their own story pitches and review what is on the sheet. EICs review goals and expectations for the issue and may cover training topics. Deadline and schedule is announced. Editorial Board should meet before the second meeting of the cycle. 

5. At the second meeting of the cycle: Reporters should sign up for stories. Reporters will also be given a deadline for their article at the same meeting. Theme/feature story and who is reporting it is announced.

6. After the second meeting of the cycle: Managing Editor for Print reviews pitch sheet and adds suggested word counts for articles, in consultation with EICs.

7. At the third meeting of the cycle: Reporters review word counts. Section editors check in with reporters who have story assignments in their section to ensure progress. Editorial draft due at this time for review.

8. At deadline: Reporters submit stories and photos via a Google Form, which looks like this. 

9. The day after deadline: Core four editors transfer all linked story submissions to the ‘WHAT WE HAVE’ section of the pitch sheet.

10. The day after deadline: Section editors check in with any reporters who signed up for stories but did not submit. Deadline extensions are at the discretion of EICs. 

11. Within three days after deadline: Section editors and core editors edit articles and initial on the spreadsheet as they complete edits. Edits are always made as suggestions to give the reporter a chance to address edits directly. If the reporter has not seen or made edits to the article themselves before layout and design, editors will make direct edits at their discretion. Note that major issues related to accuracy of information, sourcing, or facts that would preclude publication require that editors contact the reporter promptly and directly to discuss issues with enough time to make changes before layout. Editors should not just wait for a reporter to see comments regarding major issues on a Google Doc.

12. Within five days after deadline: Adviser reads all submitted stories after editors’ initialed review, with the goal of offering feedback on journalistic standards. (See Adviser.) 

13. Before layout begins: All edits are finalized. Editorial is approved by all members of the editorial board. Designer has read the feature story and planned preliminary feature and front page design.

14. At layout: The core four editors, designer, and adviser are required to participate in the design session(s) to put the newspaper together. Section editors are strongly encouraged to participate. Design sessions go as late as 8 p.m. and may include weekend times.

15. After layout: Publication uploaded to Kami for edits. Core four editors and section editors copy edit and review publication carefully over at least a 24-hour period. 

16. After copy edit: EICs email a link to the publication for prior review to principal. (This is typically a duplicate of the working draft.) Editors continue to review original for minor copy edits. According to prior review practice, principal has 24 hours to review the publication. If staff delivers the publication on a Friday or weekend, review time extends through Monday.

17. After approval: Adviser and core four editors send PDF to SchoolPaperExpress for print, quantity to be determined (usually 400-500 copies).

18. After approval: Managing editors:

• Copy the final edited text of each story from InDesign to the first page of each story in Google Docs and restore hyperlinks into the edited copy. (Use a page break to separate the text.) 

• Ensure the creation of featured images for every story. (2000x1333, under 250k).

• Upload all stories into drafts on site and post draft links to the WHAT WE HAVE sheet. May post stories ahead of print distribution at discretion.

19. Upon print issue delivery: Members of the editorial board are expected to help distribute newspaper on the morning following its arrival. The social media editor is in charge of taking a photo of the editors with the newspaper in hand at distribution and posting on the social media channels before school.

20. Within two weeks after distribution: Adviser schedules meeting with principal, ideally at same time as regular staff meeting. Core four lead a meeting with the principal (or designee) to review issue and discuss ideas. They generate questions in advance of the meeting and design systems for other staffers to contribute to the discussion. All editorial board members expected to attend and all staff members encouraged.

On the pitch sheet, the core four and section editors will add online story ideas. These stories are typically sport or event coverage. Deadlines may vary depending on the timeliness of the story, but are usually 24-48 hours after the event. Editors in chief will promote these stories at each staff meeting. Any contributor, reporter, or editor may take on an online-only story.

When the reporter completes the story, they should submit the story with photo(s) using the Online Story Submission Form, which is monitored by the editors in chief and managing editor for web. (To ensure receipt and timeliness, the reporter should also message editors.) 

Editors in chief and managing editor for web will edit the story, ensure hyperlinks, and prepare the featured image. Editor in chief publishes the story. 

After publication, editor in chief should alert the social media editor to try for a timely post.