Higher Journalistic Standards to Be Upheld at MSHS

Mount Si High School Principal Randy Taylor took positive steps this year to correct problems at the student newspaper, Cat Tales. Principal Taylor exercised authority given to him by school district policy to review issues of the paper prior to their publication. The faculty advisor and newspaper staff responded by refusing to publish the paper.  This issue was recently resolved so that the paper can be published, with promises of higher journalistic standards.

On Nov. 29, 2008, CoDE sent the following letter to Principal Taylor:

Mr. Taylor:

We want to thank you for your efforts to ensure that the MSHS student newspaper is held to higher standards this year. We were pleased to see that you worked out a compromise that lets the students get back to learning about journalism while ensuring that no students are demeaned by slanted and sensational editorials. We are hopeful that the paper’s treatment of controversial issues will “represent a variety of viewpoints,” as required by school district policy #3221.

There was no question that Cat Tales failed last year to meet the requirements of school district policy under the supervision of Mrs. Holihan alone. District policy stipulates that student publications can present controversial issues provided that they “represent a variety of viewpoints,” and that the content not be libelous, be profane or demean others.  This sounds like the kind of good, objective journalism that students should be learning.