The SNO Report: Resources for journo advisers

As you’ve probably heard by now, SNO is all about taking care of the technology so you can focus on the journalism– but that doesn’t mean we aren’t focusing on journalism either. We’re pretty dedicated to finding ways to make the life of a journalism educator easier; here are 6 resources we think might help with that:

Verification Junkie
Here is a blog dedicated to collecting tools for all of your fact-checking needs. The site gives reviews of each product, as well where you can find it.  An invaluable resource for verification and assessment of your user-generated content, especially information gathered from social media.  Basically, an absolute must for all journo advisers everywhere.

SchoolJournalism.com
Sponsored by the American Society of News Editors, this site has an abundance of resources for your newsroom– from actual lesson plans and teaching tools to information on workshops, scholarships, and contests, you could (and should) easily spend a few hours exploring the helpful contents of this site.

American Press Institute
Students need resources, too; and whether it’s because you’re too busy doing one of the 2395 other things on your list, or you don’t feel like going over the first amendment twenty times, or even if you just want your staff to do some intrinsic learning, this is a good place to send them for some student-centered journalism resources.

AP Style Quizzes
Do your students struggle with AP Style? Trust us when we tell you they’re not alone– getting used to a new style after years of probably only being allowed to write in MLA isn’t easy. Here is a collection of 18 AP Style Quizzes to give your students. Make sure they’re experts before you send them off into the “real world;” they’ll definitely impress their future J-School classmates at whatever Ivy League school they are sure to get into after taking these quizzes.

Society of Professional Journalists
This one pretty much explains itself– the Society of Professional Journalists have put together useful tools for advisers and educators. It doesn’t get more legitimate than that.

Covering sensitive content
We know it can be intimidating, but we encourage members of the SNO Network to not shy away from reporting on tough topics. These are a few resources and guides that will help your students tackle the more difficult stories with grace.


2016 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
The application deadline for the 2016 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is fast-approaching.  One high school JUNIOR from every state and the District of Columbia will be selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 18-23, and will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the college of his/her choice.  Visit freespirit.org for more information and to apply online.