To our readers: The Phillipian task force has submitted the following Operating Guidelines, which serve as reccomendations to Mrs. Chase in her relationship with this paper. The guidelines were drafted by a committee of Phillipian alumni, all of whom have achieved journalistic distinction, and were submitted to Mrs. Chase in February. Mrs. Chase said, “The Phillipian has a storied past and a great tradition of independence. I am committed as Head of School to having the paper continue on that path. I am also committed to a paper that is characterized by journalistic excellence.” We stand with her, and thank her for her continued support and trust. I. The Phillipian is an independent weekly newspaper. Student-editors have complete control over editorial, financial and personnel decisions. Stories are not reviewed by school administrators before publication and are free from censorship by them. The editorial board takes responsibility for the published contents of the newspaper. II. The Phillipian shall have an advisor who is an active member of the Phillips Academy faculty or administration. The Head of School, in consultation with the Phillipian Alumni advisory council, shall choose the advisor and set the length of tenure. III. The advisor’s primary role is to assist the student-editors and reporters in achieving and maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards. Duties should include the following: a. Advising on the enforcement of the principles in The Phillipian’s charter. b. Holding two training sessions annually on journalistic standards and ethics for the editorial staff: a winter session at the beginning of the new staff’s term and a fall session at the start of the school year. The sessions should include training on accuracy, interview techniques, corrections policies, ethics and other journalistic practices. All Phillipian editors and key staff writers must participate in these sessions. Members of the Phillipian alumni advisory group may be invited to offer training workshops. c. Conducting a weekly red-lining and oral review of each edition of the Phillipian, usually no later than the Monday following publication of the newspaper. All senior editors and key staff writers must attend. d. Assisting with the creation and regular updating of a stylebook to be used as a reference by Phillipian editors and reporters. IV. The editors are strongly encouraged to consult, prior to publication, with the faculty advisor and/or members of the alumni advisory council about any articles, op-ed pieces, graphics, or photographs that are controversial or potentially libelous. V. An advisory council of professional newspaper writers, editors, and business executives from the alumni body shall assist The Phillipian and the advisor, especially on questions of ethics and current journalistic practices. Members of the advisory council are appointed by the Head of School and serve for three year terms. The above guidelines, as accepted by Mrs. Chase, will provide a concrete foundation for The Phillipian’s operation today, tomorrow, and years down the road. On behalf of the editorial board, Steve Blackman ’07 Editor-in-Chief
