Jan. 31, 2018 – Advocates for student journalists are marking the 30th anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling that gave broad censorship powers to school administrators with a campaign to #CureHazelwood.
Since the 1988 ruling, censorship has become the norm, with risk-averse administrators turning student publications into timid “house organs,” they say.
The NewsGuild is joining the Student Press Law Center in publicizing the destructive legacy of the ruling and highlighting the need for state-level legislation to protect the rights of student journalists.
“Remember the article by student journalists questioning the credentials of a recently hired principal that led to the her resignation?” Guild President Bernie Lunzer asked in an email to union activists.
“According to the New York Times, the article might never have appeared had it not been for the Kansas Student Publications Act, which grants students independent control over their editorial content,” Lunzer noted.
“Unfortunately, Kansas is one of just 10 states that protects student journalists’ rights, while permitting administrators to remove material that is obscene, defamatory or that poses a danger to the school. Student publications in the other 40 states are controlled by the Supreme Court ruling.
“The NewsGuild-CWA supports the fight for student press rights and believes we should encourage fearless, responsible reporting,” Lunzer wrote.