Journalists can’t be journalists when opportunities are taken away. 

Mar. 29, the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) sent out a statement, stating that student journalists would not be allowed to attend the Sweet 16 this year, causing student journalists to not be able to do their jobs. 

After the boys and girls basketball teams became regional champions, and the school found out they would be going to state, our Livewire and Endeavor staffs were excited, and ready to go. Although, this would come to make many student journalists upset, after they found out student journalists would not be allowed to go to any KHSAA events, this year, due to COVID-19. On behalf of the KYTJA, President Larry Steinmetz decided to write up a letter, directed towards the KHSAA, calling for change.

The KYJTA is upset at the matter of the KHSAA not letting student-journalists cover events, such as the Sweet 16. “Well, the biggest thing is disappointment. We’ve tried really hard to cover our school; that’s one of our main focuses and anytime you’re denied access, for people who are just trying to do their jobs, and do what their advisers, and staffs, have asked of them, it’s really disappointing,” Steinmetz said. 

The main point Steinmetz wanted to make, to the KHSAA, was one word: change. “In drafting our statement, obviously, we want change, and we feel like there’s room for the KHSAA to work with us, on this. There are reasonable solutions, for access for student journalists. So, in reaching out to our fellow board members, for the KYJTA (Kentucky Journalism Teacher Association), we ask them to reconsider. We’ve heard back from them, and did not get news that we like to hear, so we are working on our next move right now,” Steinmetz said. Steinmetz believes that there are solutions to this issue that the KHSAA can definitely help with. 

Steinmetz is planning on sending out another statement, to the KHSAA, before the end of the day, today. “We’re still working on that. We’ll probably have another statement drafted to them today, to send out. We’re also in the middle of contacting other schools who wanted to get, into the Sweet 16, to let them know that we’re fighting for that, and see if we can get them on our same page, as well,” Steinmetz said. Steinmetz is wanting to see if he can get other journalism programs, on the same page, as they are, as well.