About

Welcome to The Wingspan, the official student news website of Gretna East High School, proudly brought to you by Gretna East Media.

The Wingspan (GretnaEastMedia.com) was launched in July 2023 and is currently in its second year.

Established in 2023, Gretna East High School (grades 9-12) is the second high school opened by the Gretna Public Schools District. For the 2024-25 school year (as of Nov. 1, 2024), the school has an enrolment of 1,008 with a staff of administrators, teachers and support of 200.

Gretna East High School | 18102 Lincoln Rd. | Omaha, NE 68136

Phone: (402) 332-4868 | Website: gehs.gpsne.org | School Hours: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Principal: Chad Jepsen, [email protected]

Gretna East Media Adviser: Ranae Duncan, [email protected]

Wingspan Staff: Email: [email protected]

Accreditations: Gretna East Media is proud to be a member of the following esteemed organizations:

Nebraska High School Press Association
Journalism Education Association
National Scholastic Press Association

MISSION STATEMENT

At The Wingspan, our mission is to inform, engage, and empower our school community through accurate, timely and impactful journalism. Guided by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics, we are committed to seeking truth, minimizing harm, acting independently and being accountable in all our reporting. Through diverse storytelling and innovative multimedia content, we strive to amplify student voices, foster critical thinking and promote transparency. As a team of dedicated student journalists, we are proud to uphold the principles of free expression and serve as a trusted source of news and information.

Our Commitment

The Wingspan is more than just a news site; it is a platform for student journalists to explore their passion for reporting and storytelling. We strive to deliver accurate and reliable information while upholding the principles of integrity, fairness, and objectivity in our reporting. We take pride in our commitment to highlighting the diverse voices, talents, and accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff.

Story Suggestions and Letters to the Editor

At The Wingspan, we believe in fostering an open and inclusive platform for our readers to express their thoughts, opinions, and concerns. We welcome Letters to the Editor as an opportunity for members of the Gretna East community to engage in meaningful dialogue and share their perspectives.

Whether you have a response to an article, want to raise awareness about a particular issue, or simply have a unique story idea to contribute, we encourage you to submit your Letters to the Editor. All submissions will be reviewed by our editorial team to ensure they adhere to our guidelines of respectful and constructive discourse.

Guidelines for Submitting Letters to the Editor:
- Keep it Respectful: We value diverse viewpoints, and we ask that all submissions remain respectful and free from personal attacks or offensive language.
- Stay on Topic: Letters should pertain to topics and issues relevant to Gretna East High School or the broader community.
- Word Limit: To ensure that we can accommodate a variety of submissions, letters should be concise and typically not exceed 300 words.
- Include Your Information: All letters must include the writer’s full name, grade (if applicable), and contact information. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted.
- No Commercial or Promotional Content: Letters should focus on addressing issues or sharing opinions rather than promoting products, businesses, or events.
How to Submit:
- Please email us at [email protected] to submit your Letter to the Editor, story idea, or original work you would like us to consider publishing. Our team will review the submissions, and if selected, your letter may be featured on our website.
- By writing Letters to the Editor, suggesting story ideas or submitting your work, you become an active participant in shaping the conversations that matter most to our school community. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing your valuable insights with our readers.
- Join us in making “The Wingspan” a space for thoughtful exchange and community engagement. Together, let’s continue to elevate the voice of Gretna East High School.

PUBLICATION POLICIES

Opinion Article Policy

As a news organization, The Wingspan makes every effort to maintain an unbiased and fair representation of events in news stories.

Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Wingspan student news staff and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the adviser or Gretna East High School.

Columns represent the opinion of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the adviser, the Wingspan staff or Gretna East High School.

For opinion stories, The Wingspan is under no obligation to seek out views that differ from staff reporters. However, The Wingspan will post different views if they are submitted, provided that they follow the Gretna East Media submission guidelines.

Advertising Policy

No Gretna East Media publication will accept advertising for products that are illegal for minors to purchase and/or use.
The publications will not run advertising without a proper signature on the advertising contract which explains the terms of payment, content, size and publishing dates and includes the attached layout which explains the terms of payment, content and size.
The publications will not accept personal or classified advertising.
All ads need to be approved by the editorial board; any ad not deemed appropriate by the editorial board will not run.
The publications will cease to publish advertising of any advertiser who does not meet payment obligations specified in the advertising contract.
If a published advertisement is incorrect in substantive content, a reduced price or corrected run will be negotiated.
Advertising that appears in the media is not necessarily endorsed by the media or its staff members, editorial board or adviser.

Bylines, Ownership & Copyright Policy

All bylined writers are responsible for their work and its accuracy.
All pictures, graphics, columns, articles, videos, reviews and other original material with the exception of staff editorials will be bylined with the producer’s name.

Comment Policy

The Wingspan values thoughtful dialogue and encourages readers to engage with its content through constructive comments. To maintain a respectful and safe environment, all comments must adhere to the following guidelines:

Respectful Communication: Comments containing obscene, suggestive, vulgar, profane (including disguised profanity), threatening, disrespectful, or defamatory language will not be published and may be reported to school administration.
Zero Tolerance for Hate: Comments attacking individuals or groups based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristic will be rejected.
Safety First: All threats are taken seriously. If a comment raises concerns for someone’s safety, it, along with identifying information, will be shared with relevant authorities and/or school administration.
Adherence to School Policies: Comments made from the school network are subject to Gretna East High School’s Acceptable Use Policies. At The Wingspan staff’s discretion, inappropriate comments and related information may be shared with the administration.
Approval Process: All comments are moderated by The Wingspan staff to ensure compliance with these guidelines. This moderation may result in a delay of up to 24 hours before comments appear publicly.
Authenticity and Transparency: Misrepresenting your identity by using another person’s name is prohibited. Wingspan requires a valid email address for all comments. Email addresses will not be displayed publicly but are used for verification purposes.
Constructive Criticism: Wingspan welcomes strong opinions and critiques of its reporting but will not publish personal attacks on its staff or comments questioning its policies or practices.
Contribute to the Conversation: If you feel strongly about an issue, disagree with coverage, or wish to share a deeper perspective, we encourage you to submit a guest column. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected].
Responsibility for Opinions: The views expressed in comments are solely those of their authors and do not represent the views of The Wingspan, Gretna East Media, Gretna East High School or Gretna Public Schools.
Ownership of Comments: Once submitted, comments become the property of The Wingspan/ Gretna East Media.

By fostering respectful and meaningful discussions, The Wingspan strives to uphold the integrity of student journalism while maintaining a welcoming space for diverse opinions.

Content Removal Policy

Only the writer/photographer, editor, adviser or principal has the right to remove a story from gretnaeastmedia.com.
Stories will only be pulled for fact errors or violations of the Gretna East Media Editorial Guidelines.
A letter of “request for removal” for a story can be submitted to the adviser and will be considered on an individual basis.

Corrections and Errors Policy

Concerns about errors in the school media may be submitted through the adviser, via email at [email protected] or to the Gretna East Media Editorial Board at [email protected].
The editorial board retains the right to determine whether, in fact, an error has been made.
Known and or found errors that are brought to the attention of the school media will be addressed regardless of being realized by the author, audience or staff member.
Staff members will strive to correct errors prior to publication; however, if the editorial board determines a significant error is printed, the editorial board will determine the manner and timeliness of a correction.
Major corrections are determined by the editors and adviser.
If changes are made to an online story after it has been published, the change will be noted along with the date and time the change was made.

EDITORIAL POLICY

It is the responsibility of The Wingspan to cover school, city, state, national and international events and issues that affect or concern the campus, its students or its readers in a non-biased method.

The Wingspan will attempt to cover all aspects of the school; however, coverage will depend greatly upon an item’s news value (how important or interesting it would be to the majority of the school population). Media editors determine the news value of all material based on the following news determinants:

Timeliness
Proximity
Impact
Prominence
Conflict
Unexpected/Oddity
Human Interest
Currency/Viral

All content decisions will be made in occurrence to the following provisions while keeping in mind that the overall purpose, role and goal of The Wingsapn is to:

Inform, interpret, and entertain their viewers through accurate and factual reports, where information has been thoroughly gathered and information has been completely verified;
Serve as an educational media lab experience for those on staff;
Be accurate, fair, and impartial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community;
The Wingspan will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy;
Cover the total school population as effectively and accurately as possible;
The staff of The Wingspan will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists. The Canons of Professional Journalism include a code of ethics concerning accuracy, responsibility, integrity, conflict of interest, impartiality, fair play, freedom of the press, independence, sensationalism, personal privacy, obstruction of justice, creditability and advertising.
The Wingspan will clearly identify sources of news, except when it is necessary to uphold the journalist’s privilege of protecting the identity of sources. When in such a case, the journalist must reveal the source to the editor or adviser, who will determine if the source is credible and if it is necessary to keep the source unidentified.
The Wingspan will avoid sensationalizing news and events. Publications do not invade personal privacy or print material that might be embarrassing or degrading to any individual or group

Stay Connected

To stay up-to-date with the latest news, features, and events at Gretna East High School, visit www.gretnaeastmedia.com, and follow us on social media (Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook) for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes peeks, and more.

Get Involved

Gretna East Media welcomes all students who are interested in journalism, reporting, photography, videography, podcasting, sports and graphic design to join our team. We believe in nurturing the next generation of storytellers and providing a strong environment for growth and learning.