Q&A with Evans “Bryant” Branigan, assistant principal, North Central High School

By Candace Moore
J-Ideas

Q.  Why do you think student journalists at North Central High School enjoy a good working relationship with administrators?

A.  North Central student journalists are very fortunate to have a principal who is supportive of student journalistic freedoms.  The principal has demonstrated a willingness to support student journalists even when outside pressures/groups have pushed for administrative review.  Why?  The principal has the courage to face adversity regardless of criticism or calls for administrative control of student publications, courage developed through experience and professional successes.

Q.  So the principal supports students' journalistic freedom, but what does the administration think?

A.  On the administrative team, the opinions vary.  There are those who support quality journalism regardless of the topic and there are others who are fans of administrative review.

Q.  Although you support student journalism, have you ever felt the urge to review a publication before it's printed?

A.  I have not felt the urge to review a publication before it has been printed.  As a school, we expect a certain level of professionalism from all of our teachers.  The director of publications is a teacher, and thus is held to the same high standard.  It is his/her role as an educator to maintain the high expectations of the community.  Quality teaching does not always have to be popular or easy.


Photo by Randy Swikle

Evans "Bryant" Branigan, North Central Assistant Principal (Lawrence, Ind.) speaks at a First Amendment symposium hosted by J-Ideas at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. Dick Johns, former executive director of Quill and Scroll, looks on.

Q.  In your opinion, are there any subjects off limits for student journalists to write about?

A.  Informational articles should be fact based and not filled with assumptions promulgated as being the truth.  Because this is a school newspaper, the language utilized in an article should be school appropriate.  The audience consists of 14 to 18 year old students who have been entrusted by parents into the care of educators.

Q. So as trusted educators, what advice would you give to administrators who don’t agree with what a student journalist writes?

A.  The principal or designee should sit down with both the adviser and journalist and express his/her concerns.  The concerns should be presented and an open dialogue should be encouraged.  The principal's perspective may broaden the understanding of the journalist.  The principal should explain to all parties the potential impact on the learning community and the questions that might be posed to both the adviser and journalist.  If the principal supports the adviser and journalist, then they must be prepared to answer any future questions from the learning community.

Q. Do you have suggestions on ways a principal could encourage an unfettered press in their school?

A.  My answer is taking more thought than I really want to put into the question.  There is no easy answer.  The reality for an administrator is that communal norms and expectations dictate your response to an unfettered press.  A supportive school board and superintendent provide the foundation by which a building administrator can support student publications.  If an administrator creates and fosters a learning community in which core values includes respect, honesty and courage, then student publications will be able to work without fear of administrative review.