Stargazer Editorial Policy
Section 1: Mission Statement
The Stargazer staff is committed to these goals:
- draw attention to important things happening in our St. Charles North community
- shine a light on as many voices as possible
- build a sense of community among our readers
Section 2: Editorial Policy
The Stargazer functions under the Illinois Speech Rights of Student Journalists Act (HB 5902). This bill protects the editorial choices of student journalists and recognizes their right to free speech. The Stargazer understands the responsibilities that come with this protection, as well; they are not protected in publishing content that is libelous or obscene, encourages illegal or significantly disruptive behavior or invades privacy. The Stargazer also functions under the District 303 Board Policy on School-Sponsored Media in High School (Section 7:315), which reiterates HB 5902.
The Stargazer publishes content in news, features, arts & culture, sports and opinion sections. The staff also publishes video news, podcasts, photo galleries and cartoons. Reporters interview students, staff and community members and conduct outside research to ensure stories are credible and provide thorough coverage.
Readers are welcome to comment on our content. To do so, readers need to verify their email address by following the verification process provided by our site publisher, SNO. The Stargazer reserves the right not to publish comments that include speech that is hateful or that targets a specific student or group in a negative way. The Stargazer encourages commenters to limit their comments to 150 words and to comment on stories from within the current school year.
The Stargazer welcomes Letters to the Editor and publishes content from readers at the discretion of the editorial board. All letters should include a full name and email address and can be sent to [email protected]. The staff only publishes letters from North students and staff.
Out of respect for the families, Stargazer does not publish stories about student deaths.
The Stargazer does not use any members of its own staff as sources within stories unless a staff member is the leading source of information on a topic.