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Kenya Gouch, 17, Detroit

"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power because they control the minds of the masses."

-- Malcolm X.

Media is an outlet used to inform, entertain and persuade. Often times, the media exposes people and situations for something they or it may not want to be portrayed as. The world of journalism can be controversial. With that said, it has to be left up to a brave sort of person to report within the media and utilize the right to free press. Writing for a school newspaper limits this freedom. What happens when a story is written but cannot be published under the disapproval of the school's principal?

Communication and Media Arts High School seems to be one of the finer schools in Detroit. It is supposedly more advanced academically than others. At least this is what the school would like people to believe. Lately, under the new supervision of Principal X, the school has become more focused on discipline, not education. This is becoming a concern for students and parents that has yet to be addressed. Kids are learning less due to the fact that their teachers are more concerned with minor violations of rules. Half of class time is spent checking uniforms, and passing out detentions to students, instead of teaching them vital information in preparation for college.

Wanting to publish a story about to matter, I wrote an article about it and it was pronounced that the article could not run. Our principal declared that the story "made our school look bad." I felt that the issue was very important and should have been printed in the newspaper as other important information is printed. However, Principal X was not allowing it. As editor, I had to make the decision of which was more important: satisfying the principal or releasing the truth.

In the end, it was left up to me to determine whether or not publication of the story was significant. Being a person who strongly believes in principles such as honesty, I felt that getting the truth out was vital. The article was published and I faced the mild consequences. Truth in the media is extremely critical as most people have strayed away from the idea. However, this is one thing I will forever concentrate on.

Gouch graduated from Communication and Media Arts High School in Detroit on June 6. She will attend Columbia College Chicago in the fall.

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Essay on media freedom helps CMA High student into Columbia College Chicago