Tag: Spring 2010

NEOLA's one-size-fits-all restrictions can weaken high school media.

When the Lake Central, Ind., school board met to discuss a high school principal's removal of newspapers from the stands in response to an editorial mildly critical of the former football coach, the board heard a forceful argument in favor of student free-press rights from an unexpected source: Another school administrator.

It is important for student journalists to familiarize themselves with the essential investigative tool of open-records law. FOI laws provide student journalists with the opportunity to acquire interesting and useful information about public agencies' practices and policies.

When a juicy story surfaces, editorial cartoonists nationwide jump to see who can create the most tongue-in-cheek illustration. Recently, three college papers came under fire for printing cartoons critics considered offensive or insensitive. Though the law offers protection for the content of cartoons, it does not protect them from the consequences of controversy.

With the fear of school disciplinary action in the back of their minds, anonymous speech can be valuable tool for college students critical of their universities.

Journalism students around the world work hard to inform their communities and gain practical experience in their chosen field. Editors in Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Singapore and Iraq talk to the Report's Katie Maloney and share their unique perspectives on what it means to be a student journalist.

American journalism students enjoy learning about the media in a country that has relatively strong protections for a free press. But those students interested in experiencing different media systems by exploring international journalism must explore different ways to get that type of first-hand experience.

College newsrooms, mirroring their professional counterparts, are adopting content sharing agreements at a growing rate. While exchanging articles, columns and photos offers students the opportunity to get their work and bylines in front of a new audience, the ultimate impact of content sharing for student journalism has yet to be seen.

Before you publish and share your content online, it is important to understand how your work can and cannot be used on the Internet, and the steps you can take to ensure that you are credited -- and maybe even paid -- for the work you produce.

Cases involving student journalists present some of the most challenging privilege issues that judges and legislators are facing today. The answers are not always obvious. Deciding what material is privileged means balancing two competing priorities: (1) to protect the ability of journalists to effectively and safely gather news, and (2) to make sure the right people (and only the right people) are caught and punished for crimes.