School board’s media strategy undermines its own student journalists (Guest Opinion by Angelina Grevi)

Angelina Grevi, of Syracuse, is this year’s salutatorian for The Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central (ITC). She was a member of the Syracuse Journalism Lab,which aims to inspire talented high school students from Syracuse’s underrepresented communities to pursue journalism careers. She will attend Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in the fall to study broadcast journalism.

This past October, I was awarded the Sherri Taylor First Amendment Award by the Empire State Student Press Association for exercising my First Amendment right as a young journalist. Just two months ago, the school board that congratulated me for that award is taking that right away from the professionals in my desired career field.

For context, the Syracuse City School District Board of Education attempted to shield itself from interactions with the media this past March. Its action against the media, including instructing its lawyer to send a letter to a Syracuse TV station threatening legal action, has caught the eyes of not just the community, but me, as well. Especially since the district recently hired or promoted four communications directors at an extra cost of $730,000 per year.

The safety of children in the Syracuse City School District has been a longstanding concern, especially since the incident regarding the attack of a teacher at Lincoln Middle School, allegedly by a parent posing as a student. Parents are worried about their children, and rightfully so. Parents and taxpayers have a right to know how the district plans to address incidents like this. But instead of openly communicating with the media and the people they serve, the district keeps silent and offers no reassurance.

This issue then lands on student minds as they attend these schools. How is the district keeping us safe? What are they doing to ensure this does not happen in other SCSD schools? So far, nothing.

Which leads me to write this opinion piece, the second one I have written that criticizes the district and its actions. As a media communications alum, I have taken pride in my Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and the successes I have gained. Additionally, I have made sure to mentor the younger generation of journalists who aspire to bring awareness to critical issues, as I have. The one thing I have told every single one of them is that their voices are important and should be used constructively.

But now as an alum of the district, I am worried for the students who will take after my example and write about the issues that matter in the district. These students should have the next four years ahead of them to find their voice in the media, and it should be encouraged, not frowned upon. But now that the media is shining light on the issues that plague the district, the school board members who should serve students prefer instead to preserve an image rather than improve the core. What will happen when a student decides to speak up against your policies? Will you answer with silence, or worse?

If improving the district’s message is truly the goal here, the SCSD board members should not be stepping out of the frame. As the public watches the media battle against letters of “cease contact,” the need to amplify voices in the community grows. Because regardless of whether the media is covering the stories or not, the public will voice their concerns about the SCSD. They have come to the board meetings; they have lived the stories you refuse to acknowledge. They will continue to voice their opinions on these crucial topics until change is made.

Students are watching as the careers they aspire to attain are being condemned by a district meant to support them. What does that say about you?

To me, it says you only care about our successes when it benefits you.