Can you be a journalist if you can't write?

There was an article in our newspaper yesterday about the journalism program at one of our local high schools. I applaud the students who want to make journalism their profession and who put in extra hours at school planning and composing newspaper and yearbook. However, I have a real concern.

I have seen a couple of editions of the school newspaper touted in yesterday's feature. I have also seen this school's yearbook as well as yearbooks from some of the other schools in the area. These students do not write on a high school level! The grammar is atrocious, the spelling is haphazard, and much of the communication is ambiguous.

Am I blaming the students? No. I just can't believe an instructor would allow a student to print such poorly written material. I thought perhaps the instructors no longer proofread their students' work, but included in the article was a photo of the instructor "proofing" the next issue of the school publication.

Reading between the lines, I got the impression that "creative content" is the main goal for these budding journalists. But they must understand that even if they produce the most creative work since the Sistine Chapel ceiling, poor language skills will kill it. This instructor was quoted: " . . .the one distinct advantage I have had is my ability to ask intelligent questions, write an interesting story and promote my ambitions with visual and persuasive appeal." Maybe she should work a little less on promoting her ambitions and a little more on teaching her students.