5722 - STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTIONS
STATEMENT OF POLICY and PURPOSE
Freedom of expression and press freedom are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution committed to preparing productive citizens includes teaching students these values by lesson and example.
Student exercise of freedom of expression and press freedom is protected by both State and Federal law, specifically by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by Article I, Section 9 of the Indiana State Constitution. Accordingly, school officials are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and press freedom for all students.
It is the policy of the New Albany-Floyd County School Board of Education that publications are established as forums for student expression and as voices in the free and honest discussion of issues and ideas. For purposes of this policy, "publications" shall include newspapers, yearbooks, magazines, and/or electronic and/or on-line media. Each medium is an instructional device for the teaching of writing, communication, design, leadership, and other journalistic skills and should provide full opportunity for students to inquire, questions and exchange ideas.
Student journalists will use the professional standards outlined in this policy to determine the content of student media, with the guidance and instruction of their faculty adviser. Content should reflect all areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be dissent or controversy.
OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA
Responsibilities of Student Journalists
Students who work on student publications or electronic media determine the content of their respective publications with the guidance of a trained faculty adviser and are responsible for that content. However, with editorial control comes responsibility, including the responsibility to apply professional journalism standards in all content decisions as expressed by the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalist, the Poynter Institute, and by the core values of the Indiana High School Press Association. Accordingly, these students will be familiar with and apply these standards and will:
Determine the content of the student media;
Strive to produce media based upon the highest legal standards and the ethical standards of accuracy, balance, objectivity, and fair play, and that reflect and preserve core values of truth, courage, integrity, and freedom;
Review material in striving to improve sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
Check and verify all facts and verify the accuracy of all quotations; strive for accuracy in all content and will promptly correct factual errors and mistakes should they occur;
Provide leadership, perspective, and commentary for the school and local community in the form of staff editorials and personal opinion columns;
In the case of editorials or letters to the editor, determine the need for rebuttal comments and opinions and provide space if appropriate; all letters must be signed and verified with the writer, and must adhere to legal guidelines as outlined in Section B below;
Sell advertising to fund their publications and/or programs when needed. Advertising is constitutionally protected expression. Student media may accept advertising for any ads except those for products or services that are illegal for all students.
Unprotected Expression
As defined by current case law, there are three (3) types of student expression that are not legally protected and are therefore not permitted:
Material that is obscene, as defined by current case law;
Material that is libelous, as defined by current case law;
Material that will cause "a material and substantial disruption of school activities."
"Disruption" is legally defined as student rioting, unlawful seizures of property, destruction of property, or substantial student participation in a school boycott, sit-in, walk-out, or other related form of activity. Material that stimulates discussion or debate does not constitute the type of disruption prohibited.
For student media to be considered disruptive, specific facts must exist upon which one could reasonably forecast that a likelihood of immediate, substantial material disruption to normal school activity would occur if the material were further distributed or has occurred as a result of the material's distribution or dissemination. Mere undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough.
"School activity" means educational student activity sponsored by the school and includes, by way of example and not by way of limitation, classroom work, official assemblies and other similar gatherings, school athletic contests, concerts, school plays, and scheduled in-school lunch periods.
On-Line Student Media
On-line media, including Internet web sites and on-line publications, may be used by students like any other communications media to reach both those within the school and those beyond it. Official school-sponsored on-line student publications will adhere to the same professional standards and are entitled to the same protections as all other student media, as described in this policy.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FACULTY ADVISER
The duties of the faculty adviser will be to:
Serve as a teacher and advisor whose primary responsibility is to guide students to an understanding of the nature, function, and law and ethics of a free press and of student publications;
Serve in a liaison capacity between the staff and the faculty, administration, and community;
Establish the highest criteria and standards by which students can assess the quality of their publication and their techniques;
Be responsible for staff positions and responsibilities;
Establish clear, consistent communication with his/her student journalist while maintaining knowledge of the content of student publications;
Understand and instruct members of his/her publication staff to consider professional journalistic, legal, ethical, and community standards as they exercise their editorial judgement, including the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Poynter Institute, and the core values of the Indiana High School Press Association;
Understand and apply Journalism Education Association Standards for Journalism Educators and journalism/media standards approved by the Indiana Department of Education in teaching and advising student journalists;
Maintain all finances for student media and publications;
Work to maintain open communication with the building principal;
Establish a cooperative atmosphere of high expectations while guiding students in their learning and journalistic responsibilities, the adviser is not a censor, but rather an educator who teachers and maintains quality professional standards for student publication staffs.
EDITORIAL CONTENT AND RESPONSIBILITY
Student journalists must recognize that with editorial control comes responsibility, including the obligation to follow legal guidelines and professional journalistic and ethical standards as outlined in this policy each school year. Student journalists will use these professional standards to determine the content of student media, with the guidance and instruction of their faculty adviser. Student media adhering to the professional standards outlined in this policy are not reviewed by school administrators prior to distribution or broadcast or withheld from distribution or broadcast. Therefore, the school corporation assumes no liability for the content of these student publications or media.
Legal Advice
If, in the opinion of a student editor, student editorial staff, or faculty adviser, material proposed for publication may be "obscene," libelous," or would cause an "immediate, material and substantial disruption of school activities," the legal opinion of an attorney should be sought.
CIRCULATION
These guidelines will be included in the handbook on student rights and responsibilities and circulated to all students.