[Editorial] Be Deliberate on Youth Coverage

October 8, 2008

There is no better time to pause and look at the media’s (poor, unfair, incomplete) coverage of the young people of Jackson and America than in the middle of this nasty presidential campaign. As adults are slinging insults and ignoring issues right in front of them, this special edition of the Jackson Free Press is evidence that teenagers in our city care about real issues, and how media portray them.

In a time when the mainstream media, and especially newspapers, are suffering, these young people are there to tell them how to shore up readership for the future. Their message is clear: Do not stereotype them. Be fair. Be inclusive. Be deliberate.

The Jackson Media Literacy Project was an exciting one for the Jackson Free Press—a project we’d long wanted to do but had no resources to do right. Then comes the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, which makes utter sense when you consider what William Winter himself has done for education and understanding in this state.

The “associates” did not analyze the JFP’s coverage; it wouldn’t have been fair as they were eating the goodies from Pizza Shack and Broad Street we fed them and in our classroom. But their very vibrant presence in our offices motivated us to do better and be more deliberate with our own youth coverage.

For one, we are working with Jackson State University’s journalism folks to start JAHSPA, the Jackson Area High School Press Association (big meeting on Oct. 22 at Sal and Mookies for students and teachers who do or want to do high school newspapers and Web Sites; call 601-362-6121 ext. 5 for your invite). But we pledge to do more; we are exploring ideas for using our publications, online and off, to provide forums for young people, and we want your ideas and submissions (send to ).

We also urge the public to get involved by insisting that other local media cover youth in a more fair, less sensationalistic way. Write letters to the editor, or post comments under stories that disparage youth. Call out unfair coverage. Tell other local papers you do not appreciate the lack of diversity as you see it. Suggest positive angles.

You can also help with JAHSPA; we are collecting donations for goody bags for our teachers doing student publications; we are saddened to learn that the kinds of things they need the most are reams of white paper and colored dry-erase markers. But our schools—especially the public ones—also need computers, software, AP Stylebooks and more.

Call the above number or write JAHSPA organizer Jessica Kinnison—a former JFP high school intern—at to see how you can help. Or just bring reams of paper and markers by the JFP offices, and we’ll get them into the classrooms.

 
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