Editorial Policy

The Southwest Shadow is a digital newspaper published by Southwest Career and Technical Academy’s Journalism I/II class. The Southwest Shadow is published primarily for the approximately 1,500 students and 100 staff members attending and working at Southwest Career and Technical Academy High School.

The Publications Board is the decision-making body of the newspaper which governs its day-to-day operation. The Southwest Shadow staff has adopted the following editorial policy to express the rights, responsibilities and philosophy of this digital media for the 2011-2012 school year.

The Southwest Shadow is an accessible public forum which provides information and entertainment in addition to various viewpoints on debatable issues in the form of editorials and columns. Letters to the editor, guest columns and all material submitted for publication must include the writer’s name, signature and class or position.

The Southwest Shadow will not publish anything in the newspaper that is deemed libelous, obscene or in poor taste, in accordance with the Supreme Courts justified standards. Rights are reserved to postpone, edit or withhold from publication anything submitted which does not meet the specifications. The meaning of any submission will not be altered, but we reserve the right to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when necessary.

Additionally, the Southwest Shadow refuses to print criticism which is not constructive and not supported by facts. Letters should be addressed to the editor, submitted electronically or given to a member of the staff or to the Adviser. The Southwest Shadow sells advertisements for publicity and to pay for technology costs. We will refuse any advertisement which makes reference to illegal or controlled products, services, substance or paraphernalia. We reserve the right to refuse any other advertisement deemed inappropriate to the Las Vegas community.

As a responsible newspaper, the Southwest Shadow will not intentionally invade the privacy of any person and will make every effort to correctly spell names and make accurate class and position identifications. Accurate reporting of fact is the goal of the staff.

Opinions will be clearly marked and found in their designated area. Corrections will be posted immediately when mistakes are found or brought to the attention of the staff.

Original stories will carry bylines, although stories rewritten by someone other than the original author will not receive a byline. Commentaries and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of the Southwest Shadow and its Editorial board or its adviser.

Furthermore, the opinions conveyed are not those of the Clark County School District, faculty or school board. Members of the staff are guided by the Canons of Journalism of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, a code of ethics which outlines the principles of responsibility, fairness and accuracy.

The Southwest Shadow editorial policy reflects these philosophies of scholastic journalism. We will do our best to uphold our policy at all costs, unless it violates the basic protections of journalists or the freedom accorded all journalists under the Nevada State School Code.