Policy and Standards

The Achona follows the “National Scholastic Press Association Model Code of Ethics” and the “JEA Model Editorial Policy.”

NSPA’s Seven Key Ethics Points:

Be responsible, fair, honest, accurate, independent, accountable and minimize harm. 

Freedom of The Press: 

As it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society,

1. The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Academy of the Holy Names, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose; this is defined by the media itself;
2. Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the editorial board, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board;
3. Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media editorial policy, from being printed;
4. All media will vigorously resist all attempts at censorship, particularly pre-publication censorship;
5. All media retain the right to publish any and all material attained through an interview by a staff member of the publications staff, holding that the interviewee was made aware that the information could be published in any form at any time;
6. All student media referenced in this editorial policy are designated public forums;
7. Student journalists may use print and electronic media to report news and information, to communicate with other students and individuals, to ask questions of  and consult with experts and to gather material to meet their news gathering and research needs;
8. Achona and its staff are protected by and bound to the principles of  the First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various laws and  court decisions implementing those principles;
9. Achona will not publish any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive of the school process, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright or a promotion of products or services unlawful (illegal) as to minors as defined by state or federal law;
10. Definitions and examples for the above instances of  unprotected speech can be found in Law of the Student Press published by the Student Press Law Center.

 

Copyright information: 

Student-created stories and media are the property of Achona, school newspaper of Academy of the Holy Names. These stories and media cannot be copied or used in any other publication. Wire photos and stories are courtesy of American Society of News Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service/Getty Images for publication only in this student newspaper.

Editorial Staff Policy:

All editorials reflect the opinions of the Achona’s editorial staff on issues that are presently relevant to Academy students. However they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire school, administration, or staff.  

Comments Policy: 

The Achona staff retains the right to block any comment that has profanity, threats, personal attacks, or spam. 

Social Media Policy:

Social media is used to engage with the Academy’s student body and to promote the Achona and its content. Social media posts will be held to the same standard as all other reporting. 

Obituary Policy: 

Any current student, writer, teacher, or administrator that dies during the school year will be recognized on the Achona. We will work to obtain permission and media from the deceased’s family before publishing. 

Advertising Policy: 

The Achona is run through generous donations from an alumni benefactor and therefore we do not advertise or entertain solicitations or quid pro quos.  

Corrections Policy: 

Report any errors to [email protected]. Corrections made to published articles will be noted with the date at the bottom of the page. Major corrections will be determined by the editors and adviser.