Adela Tabak
Laws Ethics and News Literacy
Classroom Conversations
Laws
A majority of the conversations that are held in the Redwood Bark room revolve around finding sources, reporting on what's in the news, going over announcements, story planning, or voting for prep of the year, and editorial. However, every month or so, there is always I discussion revolving around a teacher complaint, or a class popcorn read about a controversial story that catches our attention. As a newspaper publication, it is our job to report to truth even when harsh topics may come into play. Just through these conversations and observations, I have learnt the importance of approaching topics with a journalistic lens while not just thinking about the publicity but the impact of reporting on topics that require more thought.
Editorial impact
Ethics
As someone who has experienced the first-hand experience of losing a loved one by suicide, it became clear to me that I needed to be on the editorial staff for our first cycle. Through this process, I learned what makes a good editorial and how to write on a topic that is difficult to do right. Soon, the editorial caught the board and the wellness centers' attention, and a meeting was held with Bark, Peer Resource, and the Wellness Center to implement our call to action into the Tam District curriculum. By being there despite my past hardships, the knowledge that I gained from the real impact we can make is so detrimental to our school. By doing this, we change and save lives, which was one of my biggest takeaways from this experience.
Philadelphia JEA/NSPA Convention
News Literacy
During my visit to Philadelphia for the JEA Conference, I was lucky enough to attend a writers workshop to connect with other journalists hand in hand. As the trip continued, I attended several other conventions, including a First Amendment, and a law workshop, which taught me the importance of news literacy and freedom of the press.