Future shills of America

East Coweta High School Principal Derek Pitts should be proud. One of his students, Justin Jones, wrote a clever, insightful column for the school paper, demonstrating applied learning (educators love that) with his own "modest proposal." Most high schoolers struggle to comprehend Swift's satire, but Jones seems to have a grasp.

Too bad his dimwitted principal doesn't get it. Pitts seized 500 undistributed copies of the school paper and, according to the AJC, told the student journalists he wanted more "positive and uplifting stories."

(Pitts was also upset with a column written by the paper's managing editor that criticized a local beauty pageant. Where's the controversy?)

The principal doesn't seem that interested in cultivating talent, nor in preparing his students for the professional world (although they might have a future in public relations, following his directive). Jones' column is even more relevant in light of his principal's hysterical overreaction.

*Having been in the business awhile, I've heard the incessant clamor for more positive stories. It's a baseless request. Newspapers, including the AJC, run affirming narratives every day. Journalists should never apologize for resisting the kind of hucksterism many would like us to adopt.