Law, Ethics & News Literacy
"Telling the Truth While Minimizing Harm"
Embedded Files
My Mission
My Mission
At the beginning of this year, I wrote our annual "Letter from the Editors" welcoming the student body and faculty back to Lab and looking towards another year of our reporting.
In it, I wrote: "In a time when journalists are being threatened by censorship, political opposition and attacks on the truth itself, the Midway team is choosing to lean in rather than step back."
That is, in a nutshell, my approach to journalistic ethics; I know that it is our privilege and priority to act as a voice for the students and teachers at Lab, and that that job is not to be squandered by fear or hesitation. A world where everyone reads reputable news is a world very different — and much better — than ours. This is something I tell my team constantly, reminding them that our bravery is not meaningless.
Slides from the Analytics Presentation I wrote for my team back in November — a reminder that their bravery is important and that I see it.
Write & Resist
Write & Resist
My life has been shaped by growing up in a political and academic family. My grandparents were radical anti-war and anti-racist activists in the 1960s, and I’ve grown up discussing things like John Brown’s choices at the dinner table instead of the weather (should he have sacrificed his children in the struggle against slavery? The adults said yes, the children (me) balked).
Even though my own views were often more moderate than those of my grandparents, our dinnertime debates left me thinking opposing views were something to challenge, not understand. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that real dialogue isn’t about winning or persuasion, but about curiosity and nuance — and that is how I found journalism. Writing and reporting are my forms of resistance.
As George Orwell said, “Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.”
Two of my past opinion columns regarding issues I hold close to heart. For me, journalism is activism.
My Experience
My Experience
I competed in the 2023 Journalism Education Association National Student Media Contests (in sunny San Francisco) for "press law and ethics," and received an honorable mention. The contest largely consisted of memorizing landmark court cases like Tinker v. Des Moines (the "Tinker Standard"), New York Times Co. v. Sullivan ("Actual Malice") and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier ("Prior Restraint"). I also memorized the First Amendment for my freshman year journalism class and sat through the best lecture of my life — Mr. Aimone's "Redefining Objectivity" lecture. My notes from the lecture are linked here.
Additionally, an important part of my digital work involves navigating copyright and fair use, particularly with images and multimedia. In one instance, while preparing a story for web publication, I noticed that an image a staff member planned to use had been pulled from a source that did not clearly permit reuse. Rather than treating it as a minor oversight, I raised the concern and worked with the writer to find an alternative that met licensing standards. Moments like that one reinforce my understanding that ethical journalism extends beyond reporting and writing; decisions about visuals and media carry legal and credibility implications, and careful attention to those details protects both the publication and its integrity.
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