The ODYSSEY is a student-produced Newsmagazine and online publication, published with the intent to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to educate student journalists. Both the website and each issue are public forums for student expression under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Student journalists are provided with opportunities to investigate, inform, interpret and evaluate all traditionally accepted functions of the American press.
Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the writers.
The ODYSSEY staff is committed to adhere to the mission statement set forth by CCHS. The goals of the staff are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens communities.
Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CCHS or by the ODYSSEY staff. Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any ODYSSEY staff member.
The ODYSSEY is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Southern Interscholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll Honor Society. Corrections of errors will appear in the next Newsmagazine issue and on the ODYSSEY website.
Corrections of errors will appear in the next Newsmagazine issue and on the ODYSSEY website.
The ODYSSEY Media Group seeks to maintain courteous professional relationships with sources and community members. Staffers are expected to treat sources with respect. If a source asks to see an article before publication, the writer will meet with the Editors-in-Chief, Section Editor and Managing Editor to assess the validity of their request. Editors will then vet the request with Mr. Ragsdale. The OMG does not allow sources to censor articles or retract on-record statements unless an issue of accuracy is to be addressed. At no time should an OMG reporter feel pressured or intimidated by a source in regard to on-record statements. If this occurs, immediately contact Mr. Ragsdale. In instances in which OMG protocols are not properly followed, Mr. Ragsdale, the Cabinet and Section Editor, if applicable, will host a coaching session with a staffer not in compliance.
On the occasion a source requests that their identity be kept confidential in published material we must be reluctant to grant their wish. When we use anonymous sources we are asking for another level of reader trust. We must be certain that the benefit to readers is worth the cost in credibility.
As such, staffers are not to use a quote or information from a source who requests anonymity, unless it is deemed vital for the story by the Editors-in-Chief and adviser. Otherwise, the information is deemed unreliable. As a high school publication, in cases where bullying, harassment or safety concerns pose a threat to a source, Mr. Ragsdale must be alerted as a mandatory reporter.
When dealing with a sensitive or controversial subject or interview, a source may request to go off-the-record. If this occurs, you must pause the recording and respect what the source is saying. Make sure that you and the source indicate when you go back on-the-record. You are not allowed to directly quote anything a source says off the record.
The ODYSSEY Media Group strives to provide accurate, fair and unbiased news for the CCHS community. All published information should be double-checked for accuracy before publication, which includes but is not limited to verifying spellings of names, verifications of dates, locations and claims made by sources. It is vitally important for OMG personnel to make every effort to ensure accuracy, fairness and balance. However, if incorrect information is published or an error is made in the Newsmagazine, the error will be acknowledged and corrected at the beginning of the next issue in the Corrections and Omissions section. On the website, minor errors (grammatical/stylistic) will be edited and corrected in real time. Significant online errors will be disclosed and amended in the online Corrections and Omissions page.
Larger errors (misquotes, inaccurate statements, false light) will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and the ODYSSEY will publicly address the situation. When our reporting is factually correct but our language is misleading or unclear, the language will be rewritten and it will be logged in the Corrections and Omissions section. A clarification will be used to note that we initially failed to provide full context or to address the error in context.
In instances in which OMG protocols are not properly followed, Mr. Ragsdale, the appropriate Cabinet Member and Section Editor, if applicable, will host a coaching session with a staffer not in compliance.
The ODYSSEY Media Group strives to accurately represent and depict the members of the Clarke Central High School community through our various media platforms. Staffers must be particularly mindful when writing pieces that deal with sensitive issues such as race, gender and sexuality. As with any other piece, all sides of the story should be told and presented in a balanced manner. Staffers must be aware of the gender and racial/ethnic identity of their sources and, with the guidance of the Section Editor and Editors-in-Chief, determine if mentioning the cultural identity of their source in the title is necessary to ensure stronger credibility.
Any active member of the Clarke Central High School community who dies will be recognized in the following issue of the Newsmagazine in a 300-word obituary with a social media post to complement; if the death occurs outside of publishing cycles, the obituary will be published online. The obituary will either be written by someone close to the deceased or the staff as a whole as in the case of an “Our Take”. It should include pertinent information, including, but not limited to a brief biography with accomplishments, reference to surviving family members and funeral arrangements.
Along with the obituary, there will be a school photo of the deceased or a photo from the ODYSSEY Media Group’s archives. Members of the OMG will treat all deaths in a tasteful, respectful way. Cause of death should not be listed. An invitation to the CCHS community to share memories of the deceased via a blog will be offered via social media and/or email.