About

EDITORIAL POLICY:
The Falcon Press is published online by the Journalism students of Frank. W. Cox High School, located at 2425 Shorehaven Dr., Virginia Beach, VA, 23454.

The Falcon Press seeks to provide information and entertainment for students and staff, involve students and staff in school life, and provide a public forum for ideas as guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Furthermore, we strive to support the practice of authentic American Journalism within the parameters of Scholastic Press Law by enhancing an understanding of the First Amendment and the ethical responsibilities that accompany the rights it protects.

Editorials in the Falcon Press represent the views of the Editorial Board and do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration, faculty, student body, adviser, or other members of the school staff. The Falcon Press welcomes and encourages letters to the editor. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, and taste. The Falcon Press will not publish anonymous letters and letters submitted should not exceed 150 words.

The Editorial Board also reserves the right to refuse any advertising of illegal products under the law of the Commonwealth of Virginia, including, but not limited to, obscene material, or material judged to be extremely sensitive. The board also reserves the right to remove comments that attack a named or identified person or group unreasonably, make readers uncomfortable on the basis of race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or otherwise, if the comment contains excessive obscenity or sexual explicitness, or the comment threatens or encourages violence or illegal behavior. Students may submit letters to Falcon Press Adviser Erin Tonelson in Room 220 or through email [email protected].

The Falcon Press accepts paid advertisements and public service announcements.

MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of the Frank W. Cox High School community and Falcon Press is to empower everyone to become a lifelong learner and a responsible, productive citizen of a global society.

The Falcon Press News is a designated public forum for student expression without prior review by school officials in which students make all final decisions on content.

The Falcon Press News will publish complete and accurate coverage through journalistically responsible, ethically reported and edited content. Student-determined expression promotes democratic citizenship through public engagement diverse in both ideas and representation.

The bylined opinions expressed in the editorial, opinion, and entertainment sections and columns are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Press. Non-bylined editorials represent the opinion of the Press and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Any opinions or views expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the Falcon Press.

We encourage students, staff, and the community to submit letters to the editor for publication. All submissions must be signed; anonymous letters may only be printed with a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Not all submissions will be printed and may be edited to conform to the Falcon Press policy.

ADVERTISING POLICY:

The publication will not accept advertisements for products that are illegal for minors to purchase and/or use and will not accept personal advertising. The publication will not run advertisements without a proper signature on the advertising contract which explains terms of payment, content, size, publishing dates, and includes an attached layout which explains the terms of payment, content, and size. If a published advertisement is incorrect in substantive content, a reduced price or corrected run will be negotiated.

Please click on the link: Ad Contract if interested in advertising in the Falcon Press during the 2023-2024 school year.

SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA POLICY:

The Falcon Press follows the social/digital media policy released by Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS). Social media includes, but is not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, blogs, and other online platforms and programs.

The Falcon Press ensures privacy. We do not post information or photos of students who have returned an Opt-Out parent-signed media release form with the school division. We also ensure media releases are in place for our school employees. Photos taken at public events do not require confirmation of media releases.

Falcon Press social/digital media outlets promise to follow and uphold the VBCPS media policy, its values, and its mission statement as outlined on vbschools.com. The Falcon Press does not tolerate ethnic slurs, obscenities, innuendos, questionable language, or inappropriate content on any of our social media accounts.

REGARDING BYLINES:

All articles, graphics, photos, art, columns, pages, reviews, and other material creatively conceived, with exception to staff editorials, mug shots, and cut-outs will be bylined with the producer’s name. furthermore, all bylined writers will be held accountable by both the adviser and the administration for their work. When more than one person has contributed creatively to a piece of work, any person who has contributed to the work must be bylined as a producer.

REGARDING ILLUSTRATIONS, PHOTOGRAPHS, GRAPHICS, VIDEOS, ETC…:

All photographs will be captioned and bylined and will record the who and other necessary information in the photo. Bylines are required on all online photos, slideshows, and/or videos. Any of the aforementioned that contain any inappropriate attire or actions will be reshot, The publication will not publish any visuals that ridicule, demean, or misleadingly represent any individuals or groups. No electronic manipulations changing the essential truth of the visual will be clearly labeled if used.

ONLINE CORRECTIONS AND COMMENT POLICY:

Corrections will be reviewed and noted, then updated if necessary in the online platform. The link below is an online correction form to submit mistakes found so that they can be brought to the attention of the staff. You may also contact the adviser at 757-648-5250 or email through the correction link below.

EDITORIAL GUIDELINES:

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

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

The Falcon Press will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Frank W. Cox High School, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose.
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.
Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the Falcon Press editorial policy, from being printed.
The Falcon Press will vigorously resist all attempts at censorship, particularly pre-publication censorship.
The Falcon Press retains 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 administration is not required to view and approve publication content before publishing.

CONTENT OF THE FALCON PRESS NEWSPAPER

INTRODUCTION

All content decisions will be made via the following provisions while keeping in mind that the overall purpose, role, and goal of the Falcon Press is to:

Inform, interpret, and entertain their viewers through accurate and factual reports, where information has been thoroughly gathered and information has been completely verified.
Serve as an educational laboratory experience for those on staff.
Be accurate, fair, and impartial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community.
The Falcon Press will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy.
Cover the total school population as effectively and accurately as possible.
The Staff of the Falcon Press will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate, and ethical manner, according to the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists. The Canons of Professional Journalism include a code of ethics concerning accuracy, responsibility, integrity, conflict of interest, impartiality, fair play, freedom of the press, independence, sensationalism, personal rating services, and contests in order for the school publications staff to receive feedback.
Will forward any received correspondence and/or information to the appropriate editors.
Will provide information to the staff about journalism scholarships and other financial aid, and make available information and contacts concerning journalism as a career.
Will work with the faculty and administration to help them understand the freedoms accorded to the students and the professional goals of the school publications.
The adviser will not act as a censor or determine the content of the paper. The adviser will offer advice and instruction, following the Code of Ethics for Advisers established by the Journalism Education Association as well as the Canons of Professional Journalism. School officials shall not fire or otherwise discipline advisers for content in student media that is determined and published by the student staff.

ROLE OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION:

The Frank W. Cox High School administration will provide the students of Cox High with a qualified journalism instructor to serve as a professional role model, adequate classroom equipment, and space for a sound journalism program.
Cox High administration will offer equal opportunity to minority and/or marginalized students to participate in journalism programs. Information could be published in any form at any time.
The Falcon Press is designated a public forum.
Student journalists may use 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.
The Falcon Press 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.
The Falcon Press 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.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The editorial board will consist of all student staff editors.
The editorial board decides on all decisions that pertain directly to the Falcon Press and its interests.
No member of the editorial board shall have more than one vote on the board.
All members of the editorial board are expected to know their duties and jobs in the room and must understand the consequences of not fulfilling said jobs.
The student editor and staff who want appropriate outside legal advice regarding proposed content – should seek attorneys knowledgeable in media law such as those of the Student Press Law Center. Final content decisions and responsibility shall remain with the student editorial board.
The duly appointed editor or co-editors shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.

ROLE OF THE ADVISER

The adviser is a professional teaching staff member and is in charge of the class just as in a conventional classroom situation.
Is a journalism teacher that serves as a professional role model, motivator, catalyst for ideas and professionalism, and an educational resource.
Provides a journalistic, professional learning atmosphere for students by allowing them to make the decision of content for the Falcon Press and ensuring the Falcon Press will remain an open forum.
Guides the newspaper staff in accordance with approved editorial policy and aids the educational process related to producing the newspaper.
May caution, act as legal consultant, and educator in terms of unprotected speech, but has no power over censorship or veto except for constitutionally valid reasons.
Will keep abreast of the latest trends in journalism and share these with students.
Will submit the newspaper, podcast(s), and online content produced by the students to

Correction Link