In light of recent events regarding the negative social media activity on our Westwood Student Press platforms, we wanted to reach out to the community to explain our perspective.
As a school newspaper, it is our utmost priority to bring issues impacting the student body and our community to light. Following the principles of journalism, we seek solely the truth and aim to serve as a reflection of others’ voices. We are messengers and do not play a role in enacting or creating school decisions and policies. While we don’t shy away from speaking about more nuanced issues within our community, we believe that we cannot provide an accurate or complete version of any story without first understanding the full picture. We also have a duty to protect the privacy of others, which can prevent certain coverage.
Considering that this issue was primarily perpetuated through the use of social media, we also find it crucial to speak to the nature of online spread of information. As members of the wider journalism community, while we respect that social media may serve as an outlet for the expression of ideas, we must acknowledge that we cannot always establish its accuracy.
Scholastic journalism is built on authenticity, credibility, and unbiased information. When we cannot ensure that these principles are being met, it is outside of our bounds to speak to the situation. We are not saying that we don’t have feelings about this or any issue, but journalistic integrity ensures that these feelings do not color our coverage.