Steven Kreytak’s visit to Aimee Finney's Austin High communications class

I admit I was nervous. I have spoken to college students several times but never to a high school class. It didn’t help that Ms. Finney warned me that her class has its share of cut-ups, including a group of boys at the front table who have a habit of making laugh-type noises at random times.

But the class of about 30 students seemed nice. As I told them that I worked for the Statesman covering courts and have been a reporter for about ten years they appeared engaged. (Well, all of them besides the big guy in the back with his headphones on and the girl in front with her head pressed to the books on top of her desk.)

We discussed the principles of journalism and the students suggested some principles that matched my own. Tell the truth to readers. Be fair. I was pleased with their participation, and their answers.

I asked them to read a story I wrote about two years ago about a woman who lived in “a prison of fear” because of her ex-boyfriend’s stalking. He had been indicted in Travis County on felony wiretapping and burglary charges after he was caught sneaking under her house to change the tape in a listening device he had attached to her phone. The story reported that he struck a plea bargain to plead guilty in exchange for ten years probation.

I asked the students what they thought of the deal. Their responses varied. One thought probation was appropriate, because the ex-boyfriend was never violent. Another thought he should go to prison. They appeared to really be thinking about the case.

This was my favorite type of story, I explained, one in which it is not clear what is justice. This is the type of story the community needs to know about, I told the students. This is the type of story that would not be debated outside the courthouse walls if I did not track it down and put it in the paper. This is what I do as a reporter.

Then I gave them the ending. After my story ran the judge in the case refused to accept the plea bargain and set the case for trial. He was easily convicted and at sentencing two decades of the defendants’ ex girlfriends testified that he had previouslly harassed them too. He had sneaked into one of their homes; he put sugar in another’s gas tanks.

The jury gave him five years in prison.

I had little time to ask the class about their impressions of the paper. One student said he was frustrated that so many movie reviewers gave two or three stars (out of five). He wants to know if a movie is good or bad, not whether it’s mediocre. Another student said she goes straight to the cops and courts stories. I am going to tell my editor about that.

After the bell rang Ms. Finney told me I did great and asked if I had ever thought about teaching. Now that I have made it through a class with 30 high schoolers, anything feels possible.