It has been said that children ought to be seen and not heard.
Perhaps in a certain context, that perspective makes sense. Maturity lends itself to wisdom and the lack of either (or both) can be annoying. However, the lack of both in such an assumption (that a child has nothing of value to say) seems equally annoying.
One of the greatest assets of the new media is the accessibility of a voice to all people...no matter how young, old, rich, poor, etc. Information is limited only by the number of people who refuse to participate in the process of sharing it.
And how does one become a "responsible" journalist, exactly? When does an education in media literacy begin? Is it the first time we are suckered into watching a poorly-written sitcom? Is it the first time we stumble onto an online news feed?
Before we start setting guidelines on student rights and freedom to speak out, perhaps we need to look at our own standards for journalistic integrity and see if this is the future we want to share with young participants in a free and democratic society.
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