High school journalists’ efforts to embrace social media can be jeopardized by adults who are willing to trade free speech rights for perceived safety. Student journalists who are educated about and trained to use social media in a professional manner not only can allay the fears of these well-meaning adults, but also can gain valuable job skills while modeling responsible social media practices for their audiences.
This Web-based project, with lesson plans and resources based on and drawn from research on educational and professional journalism practices, is designed to act as a social media toolbox for high school journalists and the teachers who advise them. It is the final project for my master of arts in journalism education from Kent State University. The project proposal and final report detail how it all came together.
Social Media Toolbox 