Research spotlight: Peer-to-peer mentoring works in the college newsroom

Student journalists crave feedback on their work, but it doesn’t always have to come from their advisers. This study shows peer-to-peer mentoring positively impacts the students who participate and brings time-strapped advisers some relief as duties change.

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Filmmakers document how Virginia Tech’s newspaper coped with horrific tragedy

By DANIEL REIMOLD, the University of Tampa

“Documenting Disaster” is a must-see film for student journalists and their advisers.  The 45-minute documentary, the work of four very recent graduates of Christopher Newport University, offers a glimpse into the newsroom of The Collegiate Times, the student newspaper at Virginia Tech, in the immediate aftermath of the April 2007 shootings. Continue reading “Filmmakers document how Virginia Tech’s newspaper coped with horrific tragedy”

Social media use forces the question: Where do you draw the ethics line in the cloud?

By PAT WINTERS LAURO

The Journalists Code of Ethics has long been a bible for reporters, but following its rules in the world of social media is complicated. In a breaking story, do you re-Tweet important information without confirmation? What about the sticky matter of personal online identities?  These are the kinds of questions leading college media outlets to address ethics guidelines specifically for social media.
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To friend or not to friend: Buddying up with students on social media is up to you

By PAT WINTERS LAURO

To friend or not to friend your students?

The answer, says Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center, is that it’s your call.

In high school, where students are under the age of 18, it’s generally accepted that teachers should not “friend” students on Facebook or any other social media site.  However, in college, where most are of legal age, it comes down to preference. Continue reading “To friend or not to friend: Buddying up with students on social media is up to you”