Theft of free-distribution newspapers by those who object to the newspaper's content is a frequent problem for the college student media. Although newspaper thieves have been successfully prosecuted in many jurisdictions under existing theft laws, Colorado, like a handful of other states or local governments, has passed a law explicitly criminalizing the taking of free newspapers.
Colorado Rev.
TENNESSEE — The First Amendment may be making a comeback, but Americans are still concerned that schools are not doing enough to teach students about the rights it protects, according to a survey by the First Amendment Center in collaboration with the American Journalism Review.
Data released June 28 showed that support for the First Amendment had returned to pre-Sept.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives may consider a bill allowing parents to sue anyone involved in the distribution of pornographic material that is obscene or otherwise "harmful to minors" to which those younger than 18 could be exposed.
On April 28, Rep.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 29 that a law designed to protect minors from Internet pornography was probably overbroad and unconstitutional, but sent the case back to a lower court to rule on whether new technological advances would make enforcement of the law feasible.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A U.S. senator has introduced legislation that would upgrade the classification status of certain educational radio stations, protecting them from commercial stations that might want to take over their radio frequencies.
Sen.
FLORIDA — Administrators at a public college have suspended the production of a student newspaper for up to a year — despite their acknowledgment of the First Amendment rights students at the institution have.
Editors of The Lance, a student newspaper at Manatee Community College, were informed in a letter on May 20 that during the 2004-2005 academic year, the college would not offer the laboratory class in which at the newspaper is produced.
In a letter obtained by the Student Press Law Center, Darlene Wedler-Johnson, dean of the division of arts and letters and social behavior sciences, said that because of questions raised by The Lance staff, she is seeking a review of the school's journalism program.
NEW YORK — A group of high school journalists have produced a one-time-only alternative and independent publication in place of their school's newspaper after the adviser canceled the year's final issue as punishment for two editors' "poor" decision.
In the May issue of Ithaca High School's The Tattler, editors published a mock personal ad that had been submitted anonymously to the newspaper.
WISCONSIN — A high school student has submitted a new portrait of himself to the school's yearbook staff after the principal objected to his original submission, which showed the senior posing with a gun and a Confederate battle flag.
Tyler Schultz, a senior at Pewaukee High School, submitted the first photo for the senior portrait section in October, but the principal did not tell him until seven months later that the photo could not be published unless it was cropped to exclude the gun and flag, according to a June 2 article in the Greater Milwaukee Today.
On May 27, Principal Marty Van Hulle told Schultz the photo had been cropped for a banquet that day where he was to be honored as student of the year for technical education.
WASHINGTON — A state court has ruled that the University of Washington cannot give a commercial newspaper in Tacoma the notes of interviews with 18 student athletes conducted as part of an internal investigation into a former team doctor.
The public university conducted an investigation into alleged overmedication of its softball team by coaches and the team's doctor.
NEW JERSEY -- Ridgewood school district officials were within their rights when they administered a survey on health-related topics to students in 1999, a federal court has ruled.