We’ve covered a lot of ground in this newsletter over the past academic year.

• I shared with you photos of college newsrooms in my cross-country journalism trips.
• We discussed strategies for helping students experiencing burn out, stress and trauma.
• In partnership with Middle Tennessee State University, we created 10 free hypothetical First Amendment case studies for class discussion.
• We had advice for getting back at college administrators who stonewall college journalists.
• I pushed you to consider restructuring your student newsroom.
• We had tips on pitching and freelancing.
• We even got a little big for our britches and suggested what journalism schools should do to get better — twice!

Preparing this newsletter for you each week is the highlight of my work. Like many of you, I miss the thrum of a newsroom, but being involved in the education of emerging journalists is a thrill on its own.

If you’re up for it, send me feedback. Granular comments help. I work hard on this newsletter and I want it to be of maximum use to everyone reading. So if you see something you like or realize you’re continually skipping over a section, will you let me know? Your input is valuable and I read every bit of email I get.

I realize you are both preparing for a break and prepping for the fall, so I’ll be brief  with a short list of Poynter resources that you might consider for next year:

• In my truly humble opinion, our upcoming Teachapalooza conference is worth the minimal $199 cost and your much more valuable time (plus, you know, see the photo above). There are still a few in-person spots available, but we’re also going to offer robust hybrid opportunities. Consider joining us in St. Pete or online. I think you will be very glad you did.
• Subscribe to Professor’s Press Pass for just $100 a year or $12 a month. This subscription service offers weekly case studies and discussion questions around a business or ethics topic on the news. They are crafted to get your students thinking about how decisions are made in the media — and to demonstrate how they will be called upon to make similar decisions.
• Consider assigning our free courses, Understanding Title IX and Open Records Success: Strategies for Writing Requests and Overcoming Denials
• This was also the last issue of The Lead this semester. Subscribe to The Lead, Poynter’s weekly newsletter for student journalists, and encourage your students to do the same.
• Look into one of our popular certificate programs designed to perfect your students’ understanding of writing, journalism, math and fact-checking.
• Continue to read this newsletter. 🙂

In this space I often remind you to take care of yourselves. Here, I will implore you. You’ve made it through a global pandemic. The world as we knew it will more or less return to normal in our classrooms this fall. Where you can, take chances to practice good self-care. Be calm. Be present. Breathe. Savor enjoyment. Take note of laughter. Have a really great meal, or at least try to cook one.

And this summer, remember that what you do is vital to our democracy. Thank you for your important contributions to the young journalists in your care. We are all better off for it.

How to use Pulitzers in class

The 2022 Pulitzer Prizes were announced last week. I like to remind folks that Pulitzer work — while outstanding — can seem daunting or unattainable to students. I have found that it helps to pull out one element — a well-crafted lead, or a smart records request — to hold up as an example rather than the entire piece. Your students need to be reminded that most great journalism is built over time, piece by piece, until the whole comes together.

MediaWise Campus Correspondents news

We’re proud to announce a new partnership between Poynter’s MediaWise Campus Correspondents program and NBCLX. You can read more about our student-produced weekly segments here.

We are also offering slots for the fall to have one of our trained fact-checking correspondents Zoom into your classroom for a lively session on spotting mis- and disinformation on social media. Sign up for more information here.

Oh, and while I’m thinking of it … MediaWise is looking for a fellow with excellent news judgment and copywriting/editing skills, social media know-how and genuine interest in youth media.

Other highlights

• The Student Press Law Center flagged this high school censorship case.
• Here’s one to bookmark and share with your students: “An investigation last year by The New York Times revealed a tragic spate of undisclosed civilian deaths from America’s air war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The series was deeply critical of the American government, and on Monday it won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. Then it received some praise from a more unlikely source: the American government.”

Headlines about higher ed

• ‘It’s Definitely a Crisis’: Why Women in College Sports Are Struggling With Mental Health (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Officials Warn of Fake Adderall Pills After Two College Students Die (New York Times)
• An Aspiring Doctor Dreamed of Spelman. But Could She Afford to Go? (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Resources for educators

• Get access to a growing library of case studies — Professor’s Press Pass
• Subscribe to The Collective — Poynter’s monthly newsletter for journalists of color by journalists of color
• New! Internship Database — Explore now — Powered by Poynter
• Teachapalooza: Front-Edge Teaching Tools for College Educators (In-person or Online Seminar) —June 10-12, Apply now