“News literacy is the acquisition of 21st-century, critical-thinking skills for analyzing and judging the reliability of news and information, differentiating among facts, opinions and assertions in the media we consume, create and distribute. It can be taught most effectively in cross-curricular, inquiry-based formats at all grade levels. It is a necessary component for literacy in contemporary society.”

These six principles from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation are to guide producers and consumers of news and information.

1. Free expression is the foundation — the cornerstone — of democracy.

“I’m looking for someone who will sponsor the school newspaper and yearbook, but I’m more interested in someone who will teach our general students about the importance of the media.”   — Administrator from New Jersey seeking a journalism teacher

Today’s digital and social media represent new and highly effective platforms for providing information and entertainment. However, with the rise of new media, the need for media-literate consumers and producers is even more pressing.

Although journalism has often traditionally been an offshoot of the English Department in many high schools, in some districts it may fit better under the umbrella of Career Technical Education pathways. Print publications (newspapers, magazines, yearbooks), radio and video broadcast programs, photojournalism and Web news content count in some districts under the federally identified Arts, A/V Technology & Communications cluster.

Scholastic journalism repurposes the “3 R’s” as responsibility, reality and relevance – vehicles through which students learn and practice civic engagement.

• Responsibility means students will develop accurate, thorough, balanced and coherent content.
• Reality means students will pursue meaningful coverage that helps engage audiences with substantive issues.
• Relevance means students will create localized coverage that informs and empowers audiences to participate in their communities.

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, formed in 2002, combined earlier initiatives and created a model to help define the skills students will need to gain from their education to make them successful in this century.

As the name suggests, P21 consists of a number of partners with major stakes in education. These include businesses with ties to education, educational leaders and policymakers. The goal of P21 is to advocate for policies and practices that put 21^st century readiness at the core of K-12 education.

When the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers published the Common Core State Standards in 2010, they described what students should expect at each grade level. Their goal, according to the CCSS Anchor Standards for College and Career Readiness, was to help schools ensure that “all students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of high school.”

Just a sampling of standards for reading, for writing, for speaking and listening and for language shows the way journalism and student media fulfill these necessary curricular needs. These include:

Responsibilities of today’s principals run the gamut from coping with the results of school levies to integrating the latest in online learning. As school chief administrators, they hear parental objections to parking restrictions and teacher worries about outdated technology. The backdrop of day-to-day concerns includes a constant worry about school security, changing state and national standards and trends in student assessment.

None of it’s easy, especially when the primary concerns – helping students learn and getting them ready to make wise decisions for college, career and life in a democracy – can almost get lost in the shuffle.