How did Natalie and Jo think it would be ok to do a story on one of the teachers?

[TVFactFan]

They should have had more sense than that why would they print a story about someone connected to the school? That's like TMZ doing a undercover story on one of their own staff members


And she had the nerve to wonder why he was asked to resign. It was no other option he had to go after that especially since he was AT a party that had cocaine

[RetroGuy2000]

I'm sure they had done stories on people connected to the school before. After all, Jo was going to write a story about the faculty lounge, so topics on Eastland and which affected Eastland students and staff in The Eastlander were clearly encouraged.

But there were problems with writing this story: Jo didn't practice F.A.C.T., she didn't get clearance from the teacher to print the story, the type of negative expose she wrote didn't belong in a student newspaper, etc. To me, there were key pieces she overlooked. Let's hope she treated her next journalism teacher more charitably... and that s/he treated Jo more kindly, as well.

['80sSitcoms]

Yeah, Jo really screwed up there, big time. Her biggest mistake in her entire school career.

It was very well-written though, in the "fact" that here we have one of our girls destroying a teacher's career, his way of making money so he can live, and yet we don't hate her for it.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I'm sure they had done stories on people connected to the school before. After all, Jo was going to write a story about the faculty lounge, so topics on Eastland and which affected Eastland students and staff in The Eastlander were clearly encouraged.

But there were problems with writing this story: Jo didn't practice F.A.C.T., she didn't get clearance from the teacher to print the story, the type of negative expose she wrote didn't belong in a student newspaper, etc. To me, there were key pieces she overlooked. Let's hope she treated her next journalism teacher more charitably... and that s/he treated Jo more kindly, as well.

But not the person teaching the course lol I agree with you, students yes but definitely not the teacher. It was supposed to be a teacher from another school

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yeah, Jo really screwed up there, big time. Her biggest mistake in her entire school career.

Definitely. Natalie's "abortion" story ranks a close second for bone-headed school decisions, but of course, we're just talking about Jo's bad decisions. Although, of course, hot-wiring a school van and going to a bar probably caused even worse repercussions for the girls themselves.

It was very well-written though, in the "fact" that here we have one of our girls destroying a teacher's career, his way of making money so he can live, and yet we don't hate her for it.

"Front Page" is definitely a favorite of mine because, as you say, it's well-written: we don't feel hatred for Jo, because we see that he needlessly made her into an enemy by degrading her in class. It's so much better written than, say, "The Rich Aren't Different", when, by the end, I want to strangle Jo.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Definitely. Natalie's "abortion" story ranks a close second for bone-headed school decisions, but of course, we're just talking about Jo's bad decisions. Although, of course, hot-wiring a school van and going to a bar probably caused even worse repercussions for the girls themselves.



"Front Page" is definitely a favorite of mine because, as you say, it's well-written: we don't feel hatred for Jo, because we see that he needlessly made her into an enemy by degrading her in class. It's so much better written than, say, "The Rich Aren't Different", when, by the end, I want to strangle Jo.

J laughed when Jo said to the professor......."why do praise Blair for doing a story on a hemline"

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

But not the person teaching the course lol I agree with you, students yes but definitely not the teacher. It was supposed to be a teacher from another school

I think they could have run into the same issue, running a negative story about a teacher from another school, if they had printed the teacher's name. Even worse, a teacher from another school wouldn't have had a history with Jo, possibly leading to lawsuits: Mr. Gideon realized (too late) that he had been at fault for treating Jo so poorly. another teacher, from another school, would have no reason to blame him/herself for Jo's story. That's why the faculty would always need to have some level of approval over the stories in the Eastlander: just to prevent things like libel, slander, and lawsuits.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Definitely. Natalie's "abortion" story ranks a close second for bone-headed school decisions, but of course, we're just talking about Jo's bad decisions. Although, of course, hot-wiring a school van and going to a bar probably caused even worse repercussions for the girls themselves.

True, unless Jo is very sensitive to a guilty conscience. Then what if she wakes up some nights in college and adulthood with nightmares of ruining Mr. Gideon's life, and wondering if he's making it on the streets?

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

"Front Page" is definitely a favorite of mine because, as you say, it's well-written: we don't feel hatred for Jo, because we see that he needlessly made her into an enemy by degrading her in class. It's so much better written than, say, "The Rich Aren't Different", when, by the end, I want to strangle Jo.

Hahaha, that, and that college episode about the scoreboard---I want to strangle her there too!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

True, unless Jo is very sensitive to a guilty conscience. Then what if she wakes up some nights in college and adulthood with nightmares of ruining Mr. Gideon's life, and wondering if he's making it on the streets?

Yeah, could be. I like to think that Jo and Mr. Gideon kept in contact after that, and he found a nice new job at a newspaper.

Hahaha, that, and that college episode about the scoreboard---I want to strangle her there too!

Oh, yeah. She definitely went way overboard on "All or Nothing", the scoreboard episode, too.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yeah, could be. I like to think that Jo and Mr. Gideon kept in contact after that, and he found a nice new job at a newspaper.




Oh, yeah. She definitely went way overboard on "All or Nothing", the scoreboard episode, too.

Did he find a new job? I thought he was saying he would try and get a job at a newspaper

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Did he find a new job? I thought he was saying he would try and get a job at a newspaper

Yeah, he said he would try to find a job at a newspaper. I hope he did.

[80s Dude]

That is what journalist are suppose to do. Be independent investigators even if it's the people who sign their paychecks or give them grades, but it has to be true.

I had an experience when I was a college newspaper editor and an anonymous source sent in pictures of an athletic coach that they were evidently trying to blackmail.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

That is what journalist are suppose to do. Be independent investigators even if it's the people who sign their paychecks or give them grades, but it has to be true.

Schools are often supposed to allow students to make decisions autonomously, but in the episode, we see Mr. Gideon tell Jo to "find another story", so it seems as though the instructor has some measure of control over what is printed at Eastland.

I had an experience when I was a college newspaper editor and an anonymous source sent in pictures of an athletic coach that they were evidently trying to blackmail.

Oh my goodness! What happened?

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Schools are often supposed to allow students to make decisions autonomously, but in the episode, we see Mr. Gideon tell Jo to "find another story", so it seems as though the instructor has some measure of control over what is printed at Eastland.



Oh my goodness! What happened?

I was the sports editor of the university newspaper. We got this anonymous letter that said that one of our female coaches was morally unfit to serve her position. He enclosed a couple of Polaroids of this coach sitting on a bed in her underwear, nothing less. I conferred with the other editors and we decided unanimously to toss the letter and photos. The photos were not salacious in any ways. It didn't involve any of her players. She coached young women, not school girls. It was obvious that this was from someone bitter about a breakup and that it was a consenting adult relationship. Since the athletic director (her boss) was a hard core born again Christian, we thought it was best that he didn't know about this.

I always thought this would have been a good Facts of Life episode where Cindy, working for the school newspaper, would get a letter like this and it was one of her coaches. She would have to decide how to handle this.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yeah, Jo really screwed up there, big time. Her biggest mistake in her entire school career.

It was very well-written though, in the "fact" that here we have one of our girls destroying a teacher's career, his way of making money so he can live, and yet we don't hate her for it.

Jo destroyed that poor man's life with her total incompetence. He did not deserve that at all! How could she live with herself? I really disliked her in that episode.