High School Journalism in America

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Whitewater Room, Idaho Commons

Rebecca Tallent

School of Journalism and Mass Media



Abstract

Prof. Tallent will report on a multi-year research project by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Journalism Education Committee about the state of high school journalism in the United States. The project builds on a historic 1974 survey (”Captive Voices: High School Journalism in America”) and documents changes in high school journalism over the past four decades. The research also examines U.S. Supreme Court decisions that limit student journalism in secondary school. The project found evidence of lack of support for journalism classes and student publications from administrators, teachers, parents, journalism professionals and higher education journalism programs. The committee’s findings are reported in a book due for publication this year by New Forums Press: “Still Captive? History, Law and the Teaching of High School Journalism.”

Biography

Rebecca J. “Becky” Tallent joined the University of Idaho faculty in 2006. She teaches courses in public relations and cultural diversity in the media. She has more than 12 years of experience as an energy, environmental and financial journalist plus an additional 25 years as a public relations specialist, primarily with state government agencies. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and her Master of Education in Journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma, and her Doctor of Education in Classroom Teaching/Mass Communications from Oklahoma State University. In 2007-2008, she held a Diversity Leadership Fellowship with the Society of Professional Journalists. She was the coordinator for SPJ’s research on the state of high school journalism, working with 13 other journalism educators nationwide.