Tag: Virginia

SPLC & seven groups send Letter of Concern to police chief and mayor of Richmond, Va. over mistreatment of journalists covering protests

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The Student Press Law Center, joined by seven press freedom and First Amendment groups, has sent the following Letter of Concern in response to repeated clashes between officers of the Richmond Police Department and journalists covering protests for racial justice this summer. In recent months, journalists, including several college journalists, have been pepper sprayed, tear… Continue reading SPLC & seven groups send Letter of Concern to police chief and mayor of Richmond, Va. over mistreatment of journalists covering protests

PRESS RELEASE: Virginia expands college press freedom protections
New Voices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2020 Contact: Hillary Davis, New Voices Advocacy and Campaign Organizerhdavis@splc.org Governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation codifying press freedom protections for student journalists at colleges and universities and protecting college media advisers from retaliation for refusing to infringe upon those protections. Sponsored by Delegate Chris Hurst, HB36 ensures that student journalists… Continue reading PRESS RELEASE: Virginia expands college press freedom protections

No criminal charges filed after VCU student government members trashed 875 copies of The Commonwealth Times

An empty newsstand of The Commonwealth Times
SGA members allegedly cleared out kiosks and trashed newspapers last Wednesday VCU’s main campus. (The Commonwealth Times / Hannah Eason)
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UPDATE: No criminal charges are being filed after 13 newsstands were emptied at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.  On Feb. 26, 2020, members of VCU's Student Government Association were seen trashing copies of The Commonwealth Times that included an article detailing ongoing conflicts within SGA. According to a statement by the VCU Police Department, detectives… Continue reading No criminal charges filed after VCU student government members trashed 875 copies of The Commonwealth Times

“How long are we going to wait?” Editor-in-Chief criticizes Radford’s newspaper theft investigation

The Tartan newsroom / Dylan Lepore
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UPDATE: Dylan Lepore, editor-in-chief of The Tartan, wrote a letter to Radford University President Brian Hemphill on Student Press Freedom Day voicing his disapproval for how the university handled its investigation into the theft of 1,000 newspapers in fall 2019. Lepore criticized Radford police's decision not to charge the employee found responsible for stealing several racks… Continue reading “How long are we going to wait?” Editor-in-Chief criticizes Radford’s newspaper theft investigation

Virginia Education Committee guts New Voices legislation with a major amendment, leaving high school journalists unprotected
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UPDATE: The Virginia House Education Committee passed an amended version of HB 36 that did not include free speech protections for middle and high school journalists on Monday, Feb. 3. Hillary Davis, Student Press Law Center's New Voices advocacy and campaign organizer, said the Virginia New Voices coalition hopes the legislature will decide to hold… Continue reading Virginia Education Committee guts New Voices legislation with a major amendment, leaving high school journalists unprotected

New, restrictive publications policy hits journalists at a Virginia high school who were already being censored

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VIRGINIA — Journalism students already dealing with censorship by administrators at Millbrook High School in Winchester, Virginia, now face another barrier to reporting after the passage of a new prior review policy for student publications.  The Frederick County School Board approved the new policy during its Aug. 20 meeting. Under the policy, the school’s principal… Continue reading New, restrictive publications policy hits journalists at a Virginia high school who were already being censored

New Voices bills see success and defeat in 2019 state legislative sessions
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The New Voices movement has made significant strides in 2019, with a record number of state bills (11) introduced, and two measures adopted in Arkansas to strengthen protections for student journalists. New Voices is a student-powered nonpartisan grassroots movement of state-based advocates who seek to protect student press freedom with state laws. These laws counteract… Continue reading New Voices bills see success and defeat in 2019 state legislative sessions

PODCAST: New Voices advocates talk struggles and successes

Missouri supporters Mitch Eden, Jack Rintoul, Rep. Deb Lavender, Thora Pearson and Maddie Meyers Photo by: Hannah Hall, Lavender's Chief of Staff
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Cory Dawson: Since 1988, student reporters have lived under a Supreme Court ruling that gives school administrators vast control over what goes into their school’s newspapers. Since then, students, advocates and media advisers have worked to put press freedoms for student journalists into law by passing New Voices laws in 14 states. These laws  protect… Continue reading PODCAST: New Voices advocates talk struggles and successes

A record number of states have introduced New Voices bills in 2019
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More bills protecting the First Amendment rights of student journalists are moving through statehouses than ever before, according to a Student Press Law Center tally. The 11 bills are part of a nationwide effort to pass “New Voices” bills in state legislatures, which effectively counteract and clarify the limits of the 1988 Hazelwood School District… Continue reading A record number of states have introduced New Voices bills in 2019