VIRGINIA — A student journalist who uncovered allegations of hazingin her high school’s football program received the Newseum’sannual Courage in Student Journalism Award today for her battle to publishan article about the incidents in the student newspaper.
Marina Hennessy, a junior at Avon High School in Avon, Ind., foughther principal’s attempts to censor the article and ultimately publishedit in the student newspaper, The Echo. (See Hazingin Winter 1999-2000 Report.)
The Newseum also presented a Courage in Student Journalism Award toHenry L. Caudle, the principal of Davenport Central High School in Davenport,Iowa, for his strong pro-student stance on the issue of Internet filtersin schools.
The Courage in Student Journalism Awards are presented annually to studentjournalists who have demontrated determination, depite obstacles, in exercisingtheir First Amendment rights and to school administrators who have shownsupport, under difficult circumstances, for the First Amendment press rightsof their schools’ student media.