SPONSORED BY FIRE’S STUDENT PRESS FREEDOM INITIATIVE (SPFI)

One of the laments I hear most often in modern journalism education is that “student journalists don’t want to interview people.”

I dove into this phenomenon for my one-hour video training, ”Before Your Byline,” and I thought I’d share some of what I found.

Stranger aversion is often based on fear. Young people are afraid that a new person won't enjoy a conversation, or won't like them, or that they won't have the skills to carry out a conversation or an interview.

Some older journalists and professors — who shall remain nameless — have taken to scolding younger reporters who don't want to talk to people. They accuse them of laziness, but research suggests that people who fear conversations with strangers aren’t lazy. Instead, it might be that they fear a loss of control.

Calling people on the phone, knocking on doors, and approaching strangers at an event might feel foreign to them because our student journalists are digital natives, used to crafting communications across text, visuals, emojis, emoticons, graphics and filters. A phone call or face-to-face interaction with someone new feels like it demands instant mental and emotional availability — and that can feel like a loss of agency.

Students don’t need to be told they’re lazy. That’s unhelpful. Instead, they need to understand that they’re making a forecasting error — that typically, they think it's going to be a lot worse than it actually is. The best way to get over a fear of stranger danger and telephobia is to practice with a friend or even AI, then work your way up to doing it in real life.

This Washington Post article has some helpful tips on combating general anxiety, a natural response for a young person being told their grade or performance rests on their ability to talk to strangers.

Interview anxiety is real and it’s important that we talk about it, not dismiss it as a youthful shortcoming.

OK, climbing off my soapbox now. On to the headlines!

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Student journalists shouldn’t have to fight censorship alone. FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative (SPFI) defends student reporters nationwide with free legal resources, a 24-hour hotline, and expert advocates ready to help when your rights are under threat. 

SPFI offers helpful resources to student journalists at colleges and universities on subjects like press freedom, the First Amendment, libel and defamation, privacy law, and intellectual property. Learn more about the guidance and support available to your newsroom.

A student EIC at Long Beach City College received a conduct complaint, which was later dismissed, for what appeared to be routine newsgathering.

The official title of the Temple News’ editor-in-chief will now be the
Edward Pinkowski Editor-in-Chief, so named after a $250,000 endowment that will fund the position, other newsroom salaries, and some travel and equipment upgrades. Does anyone else out there have an endowed editorship?

This Wall Street Journal story demonstrates why ethical lessons are important for students who are influencer/creator-curious: They Looked Like They Were Getting Rich on Polymarket—but None of It Was Real

UF, Jacksonville Jaguars score agreement for radio coverage, student journalist access to games (Florida Politics)

Read this now to see if it might help before November: A Playbook for Newsrooms: Revolutionizing Election Coverage with AI Part II (Local News Matters)

If you haven’t yet read about the mind-bogglingly harsh sentences imposed on protesters in Texas convicted of “providing material support to terrorists,” strap in. This is chilling stuff that feels more “1984” than 2026.

With apologies to all you audiophiles, I have a very low tolerance for podcasts, so it was kind of thrilling to find myself really enjoying a newish one from ProPublica. Paper Trail is a behind-the-scenes look at the work of investigative journalists. I thought “How to Lose a Car in 15 Days” would be particularly good for your students, as it demonstrates journalists being tenacious, professional and getting laws changed.

I got a big kick out of camera director Kelly Casse’s work during a Young the Giant performance on “CBS Saturday Morning.” I thought your students might like it, too!

Another gem from the Center for Ethical Leadership in Media at the University of Texas, perfect for your interns working in a professional newsroom this summer: The art of giving and receiving feedback

How to get your reporters started with vertical video from the Reynolds Journalism Institute includes practical advice “to make video a natural, simple part of the reporting routine that journalists already do every day.” It might be helpful as you’re working toward fall planning.

Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin announced this week that she’s updated the Solutions Journalism Network’s Curriculum Builder, including information about solutions journalism, finding story ideas and sources, and crafting and pitching solutions stories.

The deadline for two Student Press Law Center awards is this Tuesday, June 30: The Reveille Seven Courage in Student Journalism Award “recognizes student journalists who have demonstrated exceptional determination and support for student press freedom, despite resistance or difficult circumstances,” and the Student Freedom of Information Award recognizes student journalists “for outstanding and tenacious use of public records in reporting that promotes transparency and brings important issues to light in their school or community.” Both awards come with a $2,000 prize.

I’m hard at work (and all done up!) finalizing the videos for “Before Your Byline,” my one-hour training designed to help students get a solid grounding in journalism fundamentals before they start working at their campus news outlets. I spent five hours in the studio on Friday, hoping my hair stayed fixed and I didn’t look too crazy with all that makeup!

This will be your last newsletter for a couple of weeks — I’ll be taking a holiday for our nation’s 250th anniversary, but will be back in your inboxes a little later in July.

Stay safe and cool out there!