SPLC commends the recent steps taken by the state of Iowa which enable student publication advisers to guide their students without fear of censorship or disciplinary action.
VERMONT — When the University of Vermont instituted a hiring freeze due to COVID-19, the administration decided to hire an interim student media adviser already working at the school as a professor of English. But they did so without permission or input from the independent outlets that would work with this adviser. Now, just over… Continue reading UVM hires new adviser without student media’s input; adviser threatens editor’s job
Sarah Verpooten watched as a parent at an Aug. 3 school board meeting advocated for returning to in-person classes. He was speaking into the microphone when he pulled down his mask to wipe his nose, pulled his mask back up, and continued speaking. That meeting resulted in a “very surprising vote” to return to in-person… Continue reading Student media advisers say they’re anxious about going back to school during COVID-19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2020 Contact: Hillary Davis, New Voices Advocacy and Campaign Organizer hdavis@splc.org Governor Jared Polis has signed into law legislation expanding the press freedom of Colorado’s student journalists. Sponsored by Rep. Barbara McLachlan (D-59), herself a former journalism teacher, HB20-1062 brings Colorado’s law in line with the other New Voices laws that have passed… Continue reading NEWS RELEASE: Colorado expands student press freedom; protects advisers
Editor’s note: Check out the Student Press Law Center’s guide to covering the coronavirus pandemic for resources and tips to help with your reporting. Advisers, see SPLC's resources for teaching remotely. How do you find story ideas when your students aren't at school? How do you transition tried-and-true lesson plans to work in an online format? How do… Continue reading Student media advisers in new territory during campus shut downs over the coronavirus
CALIFORNIA — A faculty adviser for a student newspaper in California was removed from his position less than two weeks before the fall semester began, a move the student editor believes was a result of critical coverage of administrators. For a single semester, Fernando Gallo, a former journalist, served as head adviser to the Inquirer,… Continue reading Student media adviser removed just nine days before semester begins
6/13/19 UPDATE: Following the publication of this article, Transylvania University spokeswoman Megan Moloney reached out with the following statement: “There will be a staff adviser for the Rambler — we have stated that from the beginning. It is not accurate to say that it will be an unpaid faculty member.” In a later email, she… Continue reading Kentucky university student newspaper struggles after loss of adviser and funding for student stipends
TEXAS — An adviser at a high school in suburban Houston has left her job after the principal pulled stories, yearbook spreads and repeatedly questioned her judgment. Katie Moreno, the media adviser at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, decided to turn in her resignation after detailing months of censorship and after what her… Continue reading Award-winning media adviser resigns after censorship, conflict with school principal
Q: I am a student media adviser at a public high school whose principal has censored several articles over the years. Last week he did it again for no other reason, he said, than "it made the school look bad." This has prompted my students to ask the school board to pass a new, more protective… Continue reading Ask SPLC: Can private school advisers safely testify in support of a protective student media policy?
ARKANSAS — An Arkansas school district drew national criticism after it apparently broke state law by censoring the paper and halting its publication. The district also announced it would implement prior review. Springdale Public Schools backtracked and allowed online publication of the censored story and editorial, but significant obstacles remain unresolved. The Student Press Law… Continue reading Arkansas high school paper republishes censored story, but prior review and threat to adviser’s job remain
