IHSPA Insider

By Chris Gloff, IHSPA Executive Board President-Elect

Broadcast Journalism Instructor, Crown Point High School

When CNN’s Christiane Amanpour tells journalists to be “truthful, not neutral,” she isn’t calling for bias. She’s calling for backbone. I believe it’s a distinction every high school journalism teacher in Indiana should help our students understand, especially in an age when misinformation, polarization, and fear of backlash can cloud the essential mission of journalism: to seek truth and share it. And right now, for most Indiana journalism teachers, the backlash is real. We only have to look to the past couple weeks at Indiana University’s Media School to understand if the IU administration can censor one of the most acclaimed student publications in the nation, then student journalism everywhere is at risk.

At first, students often equate “neutral” with “fair.” They believe being fair means giving equal weight to both sides of every issue. But Amanpour’s challenge reminds us that journalism’s first loyalty is not to balance, but rather, it’s to facts. If one “side” of a story is built on falsehoods, presenting it as equal to verified truth is not fair. It’s misleading. In the classroom, this means we must teach our students to verify, not merely to quote; to question, not just to report.

One effective classroom exercise is to analyze how different outlets cover the same story. Ask students to identify what is factually verifiable, what is opinion, and what is unsupported assertion. Then, have them rewrite the story using only the facts that can be confirmed through credible sources. This shows that “truthful” reporting requires discernment, not detachment.

In broadcast journalism especially, visuals and soundbites can distort or clarify reality. Encourage students to think critically about how their editing choices communicate truth. A carefully chosen shot sequence or sound clip can illuminate context or unintentionally skew it. Helping students understand that storytelling carries ethical weight reinforces that journalism is not performance; it’s public service.

At a time when “fake news” accusations and social media echo chambers make young reporters hesitant to take a stand on what’s true, Amanpour’s advice gives us permission to be brave educators. We can teach our students that pursuing truth is not activism…it’s accountability.

Ultimately, being “truthful, not neutral” is about integrity. It means our student journalists can, and must, respect differing perspectives without surrendering to false equivalence. By modeling this in our classrooms, we prepare them not just to report the world as it is, but to strengthen the democratic values which depend on honest, courageous storytelling.

That’s a lesson worth airing (and living) in every Indiana high school newsroom.

If you have an idea for a blog on a journalistic topic, lesson, or experience you'd like to write about, would love to have you as a guest author one month. Submit your blog proposal here, and we will be in touch.

Don't forget to register for the Indiana High School Journalism Convention. The event is a great resource for journalism students and advisors that features educational programming for all aspects of scholastic journalism, including workshops and a chance for students to network with other journalism students from across the state. Register here and read about this year's keynote speaker Chuck Todd below!

Chuck Todd is a renowned political analyst, Host of The Chuck ToddCast, a weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures and experts, and Head of Politics & Host of “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd" for the Noosphere App. A six-time Emmy® Award-winner, Todd was NBC News’s chief Political Analyst and moderator of Meet the Press from 2014 to 2023. He also hosted Meet the Press NOW, a daily show on NBC News NOW, bringing timely political analysis to a digital audience.

Known for his sharp insight and encyclopedic knowledge of politics, Todd has co-moderated multiple presidential debates, including the record-breaking 2019 and 2020 Democratic debates. He previously served as NBC News’s chief White House Correspondent and hosted The Daily Rundown on MSNBC.

Todd is the author of two books and has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. He teaches how Washington works as the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for The University of Southern California’s Capital Campus, in Washington, D.C.. Todd resides in Arlington, VA, with his wife, Kristian, and their two children.

Check out the Missouri High School Journalism Project from the nationally renowned faculty and staff at the Missouri School of Journalism, featuring modules on audience engagement plans, audio storytelling, broadcast writing, photography, journalist writing, investigative/data journalism, and much more.

We want to highlight and share great journalism resources in our monthly newsletters. Use this form to suggest lessons, curriculum, classroom ideas, places to find resources, etc. in a future newsletter. Basically, please share anything you think would help your fellow advisors.

Adviser: Andrea Meagher and Chris Pearcy

Submit the best of your student's work here. Every month we'd like to highlight great journalism from IHSPA journalists. We'd like to high light a variety of journalism, including print, yearbook, broadcast, writing, photojournalism, podcasts, etc. So, keep submitting your student's work throughout the year!