Ohs Newspaper Staff

Editor in Chief
Angela Geist

Section Editors
Jaime Birzer
Tayler Guge
Emily Leadbetter
Danon Taylor

Web Master
Crystal Holly

Photographers
Laura Stinebaugh

Reporters
Haley Butler
Morgan Fredricks
Cydney Lewis

Adviser
Michelle Wilmes

Newspaper Policies
Philosophy Statement
The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. While the student staff encourages constructive criticism of any part of the newspaper, authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper staff. Students will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, or libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process, copyright infringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy.

I. Ownership
A. The responsibilities for content and production of the paper rests with the student staff. The newspaper operates as a public forum where students make all decisions regarding content.
B. The staff recognizes and appreciates the support of the community merchants who help finance the Review through their advertisements.

II. General Guidelines
A. The staff agrees to respect the rules and regulations as established in the Ottawa High School Student Handbook.
B. The use of profanity, vulgarity and words which have acquired undesirable meanings shall be avoided in published material.
C. The staff shall report news and/or features in an objective manner with the best interest of the school and community in mind.

III. Editorial/Op-Ed Page Guidelines
A. Opinions expressed on the editorial page do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the school administration.
B. Signed editorials, columns, editorial cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of the Review Editorial Board or the school itself.

IV. Obituary Policy
A. In the event that a current student or staff member passes away during the course of the school year, the Review will include the death in its coverage in the next edition.
B. The death will be reported as a combination news story and standard obituary and will be carried on the most appropriate news page according to the timeliness of the publication.
C. The newspaper will maintain the dignity of the student or staff member by striving for accurate, fair coverage of the death.

V. Prior Approval Policy
A. Review policy does not allow sources to see stories before they are published.
1) Reporters are responsible for getting the information right.
2) A reporter may check quotes or some information with sources if he chooses. However, allowing sources to read stories before publication is considered poor procedure because it allows sources to rewrite stories for their benefit.

VI. Advertising Policy
A. The Review reserves the right to refuse any business which seeks to advertise any product which is illegal or generally considered unhealthy or undesirable for students as determined by the Editorial Board.
B. The Review will print political ads which comply with federal, state and local campaign laws.

VII. Letters to the Editor Policy
A. Participation through letters to the editor by students, faculty and the community is encouraged.
B. Letters must be signed but names will be withheld upon request and with the concurrence of the Editorial Board.
C. Letters should be limited to 300 words. The Review reserves the right to reject, edit or shorten letters.
D. Deadlines will be announced in the school bulletin and in each issue of the paper.
E. Letters may be submitted in writing in Room 309, or to any Review staff member, or via e-mail to wilmesm@usd290.org.

VIII. Reporting Policy
A. Students who are interviewed for any Review story should be made aware beforehand that their name will be published in the school newspaper.
B. Students involved in a school-sponsored event or public activity may be photographed for publication without explicit permission.
C. Reporters should make every effort to interview sources in person, not through notes, e-mail or over the telephone. The writer of a story should conduct all of his/her own interviews. If another reporter completes some interviews, he/she must be given credit at the end of the story.
D. If a reporter would like to tape an interview, the source must give permission in advance.
E. All sources in stories must be named.
F. Reporters should make sure all stories have sources.