News

SPJ says student newspaper board at Northern Michigan U. violated adviser’s First Amendment rights in termination

The board of directors of the student newspaper at Northern Michigan University violated the First Amendment rights of the news organization’s editorial adviser when it declined to renew her contract last week, according to a Society of Professional Journalists statement calling for her reinstatement.

N.D. House approves ‘anti-Hazelwood’ student press freedom bill

The North Dakota House of Representatives approved legislation on Monday that would protect the free-speech rights of student journalists at public schools and colleges — sending the bill to the governor’s desk for a signature.

Student government at N.Y college freezes — then reinstates — student newspaper funding after April Fool’s Day issue

The stories were fake — part of The Record’s annual April Fools’ Day issue — but outrage over the issue was not. Shortly after the special edition — called The Wreckard — hit stands Wednesday, the student government’s executive vice president froze funding to the student publication.

8 student-media employees terminated at Auburn U. under plans for converged newsroom

ALABAMA — During his three years as the student newspaper adviser at Auburn University, Austin Phillips spent hours each week reading the students’ work, offering advice and answering students’ legal and ethical questions.

And although Phillips’ students have the final say on what goes into the paper, “they know they can come to me, call me, email me any time of the day or night to answer any questions,” he said.

Financial turmoil at Virginia Tech’s student newspaper leads to editorial leadership shakedown

Amid negotiations between the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech — a non-profit organization that oversees all student media at the public institution — and university officials over the company’s failing finances and uncertain future, some student leaders argue the company violated its own due process policies to fire its editor in chief.

Student newspaper at U. of Virginia removes April Fools’ Day stories students decried as racist

The student newspaper at the University of Virginia issued an apology and pulled two satirical stories from its website Wednesday after students complained the stories were racist — one of which parodied a student’s violent arrest by Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agents two weeks ago.

3 Bucknell U. students expelled for racist comments during a student radio broadcast

A disc jockey for WVBU, the student radio station at the private liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania, and his two guests were on the air on March 20 when they used “racist and violent language,” Bucknell University President John Bravman said on Thursday in an email to students, faculty and staff.

FERPA defense play: Universities often cite the federal student privacy law to shield athletic scandals

At the University of Oregon, Vanderbilt University and the University of Montana, FERPA was cited to withhold records and information related to sexual assault allegations. FERPA was even cited at Florida State University to withhold records about Heisman-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, who has been accused of sexual assault in December 2012.