English Language Arts Journalism (2021)
Core Standards of the Course
Strand 1: Law & Ethics
Students will apply knowledge of law and ethics related to the functioning of a free and independent press and various media platforms.
Standard 1.1
Analyze and understand student expression under the First Amendment Analyze and understand student expression under the First Amendment
Standard 1.2
Analyze laws, ethics, and landmark cases specific to journalism.
Standard 1.3
Apply the rulings to both practice and real-life situations specific to the school community and publication(s).
Standard 1.4
Research and evaluate the role of a free and independent media within a democratic society.
Strand 2: Media Literacy
Media Literacy. Students will critically evaluate various forms of media.
Standard 2.1
Critically analyze content found in print and digital media used to inform, persuade, entertain, and transmit social information.
Standard 2.2
Evaluate how visual techniques or design elements carry or influence messages in various media.
Standard 2.3
Analyze the impact of social media on trends and public opinion.
Standard 2.4
Identify emotional appeals and logic fallacies. Distinguish writing intended as objective from that intended at subjective.
Standard 2.5
Identify choices content producers make while constructing media. Evaluate how choices contribute to the impact on the audience.
Standard 2.6
Compare and contrast coverage of the same news stories in a variety of print and digital media.
Standard 2.7
Evaluate the credibility of sources in a variety of print and digital media stories
Strand 3: Reporting & Writing Process
Strand 3: Reporting & Writing Process. Students will effectively use the reporting and writing journalism plays a pivotal role in storytelling while becoming familiar with the basics of photo, video and audio production.
Standard 3.1
Compose and evaluate interview questions for written or broadcast journalism
Standard 3.2
Gather information from multiple, reliable sources and evaluate this information for relevance, accuracy, and completeness.
Standard 3.3
Research using current reporting tools, from advanced Google searches to
Standard 3.4
Write journalistically sound headlines and captions.
Standard 3.5
Use direct and indirect quotes in copy with appropriate attribution (e.g.,punctuation, identification, verb choice).
Standard 3.6
Develop a variety of journalistically sound pieces (see appendix) using standard writing conventions ensuring the principles of fairness, balance and accuracy.
Standard 3.7
Revise original pieces for content and style appropriate to the medium and
Standard 3.8
Peer- and self-edit using journalism style manuals as references.
Strand 4: Multimedia Tools
Students will develop an understanding of how multimedia journalism plays a pivotal role in storytelling while becoming familiar with the basics of photo, video and audio production.
Standard 4.1
Analyze & evaluate photography, videography, and audio in journalism (e.g., emotional connection, how multimedia elements enhance text, reader response, storytelling quality of the photo).
Standard 4.2
Apply principles of photography such as composition, lighting, and other important photojournalism concepts.
Standard 4.3
Apply principles of videography, such as wide, medium and close shots, length of shot, etc.
Standard 4.4
Apply principles of audio production, such as natural sound, stereo, nonlinear editing.
Standard 4.5
Use professional ethics in producing and selecting photos, videos, and audio for publication.
Standard 4.6
Collect accurate information to provide context to the photo, video, or audio and connect it logically to the story that it illustrates (e.g. captions, metadata).
Strand 5: Technology & Design
Students will apply appropriate principles of technology and design.
Standard 5.1
Apply available technologies used in publishing to create designs appropriate for media (e.g., desktop publishing, photo editing, Web-based media, word processing).
Standard 5.2:
Analyze and apply principles of layout and design to create a visually appealing school publication that effectively communicates to the audience.
Strand 6: Management & Organization
Students will develop management and organizational leadership skills to produce media content.
Standard 6.1
Apply organizational, economic, and management skills necessary to meet student media production schedules.
Standard 6.2
Develop and execute a marketing plan to maximize the awareness and readership of student media.
Standard 6.3
Develop a business plan to learn principles of innovative funding models (e.g., advertising, sponsored content, nonprofit model).
Standard 6.4
Investigate educational opportunities and careers in journalism and mass media
Strand 7: Digital Citizenship
Students will be able to recognize good digital citizenship and use best practices in social media.
Standard 7.1
Demonstrate professional social media ethics in use and production.
Standard 7.2
Develop meaningful, engaging content for multiple social media platforms adhering to each platform’s guidelines.
Standard 7.3
Develop strategies for finding reliable sources on social media and contacting them for interviews.
http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Naomi Watkins and see the Language Arts - Secondary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer Throndsen. These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.