About

Sierra Vista High School “The Mountain Lion Messenger” Staff Policy

Mission Statement

Sierra Vista High School The Mountain Lion Messenger, the student run news website, informs and entertains in the twenty-first century. We strive to give accurate, timely information in a variety of mediums to best give a snapshot of SVHS, the local community and beyond.

Editorial Policy

The editorial board is the decision-making group for the Mountain Lion Messenger staff and consists of the student leadership of the newspaper. Meetings are open to the staff, any student and the administration. The board decides on what will be published as well as produce editorials that are the voice of the Mountain Lion Messenger. Editorials do not reflect the opinions of individual students, teachers or administration. In the case of controversial material, the board will vote on moving forward with publication and may ask for the advice of the adviser and/or administration.

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editors are welcome; we are awaiting approval for our official email. In the interim, please contact our adviser Kathleen Fick ([email protected]) with any concerns. Letters will not be published if they do not include the author’s name and email. The Mountain Lion Messenger reserves the right to edit for brevity any letters submitted for publication that go over 300 words.

Staff Ethics Statement

We will not publish content that is libelous, obscene, advocates illegal activities, or may cause severe disruption to the school. Reporters will be responsible for original content in a variety of mediums and will respect copyright laws. If students are unsure about what is appropriate behavior, they should refer to the Society of Professional Journalism’s Code of Ethics. Any member of the staff who is found to have plagiarized material or sought to deceive the publication and/or its audience may be dismissed from the staff and referred to administration.

Obituary Policy

In the case of death or deaths of a current student or staff member, the Mountain Lion Messenger will treat the subject matter in a tasteful manner in the news section. Name, date of birth, activities and any other pertinent information will be provided. Details on the manner of death will be communicated at the discretion of the editorial board. Information for readers to get in touch with grief counseling will also be provided.

Take Down Policy

In the case of an alumnus of SVHS asking for a story or picture being removed from the site, the editorial board will vote.

Comment Policy

The Mountain Lion Messenger monitors the comments written on its site and reserves the right to delete any comments found to be obscene, libelous, personal attacks, spam or in poor taste.

Social Media Policy

The Mountain Lion Messenger news site is working on its tie-ins with social media, including Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, etc. in order to better serve SVHS. We strive to ensure all information conveyed is accurate. Mistakes and inaccuracies published in any medium will be corrected as soon as possible. Staff will not use the Mountain Lion Messenger’s media platforms for their own use. Staff will not use social media for the news site during instructional time without the expressed consent of an adult in charge. Students must also include their byline when they post on the news site platforms.