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A newsroom guide for handling online comments

“The New York Times and The Washington Post have the two smartest teams of lawyers and editors in the world, and they’ve come to opposite conclusions. The Times is a review first/post later system and The Post is a post first/takedown later system. So there’s no industry standard or consensus.”  – Frank LoMonte, Student Press…

Takedown demands?
Here is a roadmap of choices, rationale

Because of a growing number of takedown demands, requests for removal of online articles, JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission offers guidelines to assist students and their advisers face these requests.  Such requests typically  come from sources, former staffers or citizens with concerns. We agree with the Student Press Law Center’s Executive Director Frank LoMonte when…

Legal considerations for responding to takedown demands

by Mark Goodman When a student news organization receives a demand to remove content from its website, consider a handful of legal considerations as well journalistic and ethical ones. The first question should always be, what’s the reason for the demand? • Is it based on a claim the content in question was factually inaccurate…

Ethical principles and considerations

If your students have to make takedown decisions, the legal advice is essential. Just as important are the various ethical possibilities, too. While the legal principles are relatively clear, ethical principles might not be.. In ethical decision-making, there is topically no right or wrong but primarily right v. right decsision. Such decisions might depend on…

Possible takedown models

Possible takedown choices Model A: Leave everything as is, if: • The request is designed to retain image or avoid embarrassment • No discernible evidence of factual or legal issue • Value of not changing information for historical, reality reasons • Publishing the truth, as best we can determine it • Credibility of the student…

Resources for takedown demands

Resources for the guidelines: • Responding to takedown demands http://www.splc.org/knowyourrights/legalresearch.asp?id=111 • Responding to takedown demands http://www.splc.org/pdf/takedowndemand.pdf • Responding to takedown demands http://studentpressblogs.org/nspa/responding-to-takedown-requests/ • 5 ways news organizations respond to ‘unpublishing requests http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/104414/5-ways-news-organizations-respond-to-unpublishing-requests/ • Post grapples with how to ‘unpublish’ and correct the record http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080604341.html • The ethics of unpublishing http://www.caj.ca/?p=1135 • If you must unpublish, here’s…

Put Up recommendations

Developing a Put Up Policy Sometimes the best way to think about a Takedown Policy is to devise a system of proactive steps to avoid needing to take information down. Here are 10 steps to take before publishing: • Independently confirm information to be used for accuracy, context, perspective, truth and coherence • Determine whether…

Information of how colleges
restrict athletes’ social media use available
year-round for localization

Even though Sunshine Week 2014 has passed, you can still obtain information about how colleges regulate athletes’ speech using social media and whether colleges would release the information when asked. This information is interesting and important on its own, but can also be localized for coverage in scholastic media. The resources are available here and…

In case you missed Mary Beth Tinker
students provide solid coverage

Editor’s note: The following is the introduction to Mary Beth Tinker at Whitney High School in Rocklin, Calif. It is used here with permission in an effort to reach as many people as possible. Kavleen Singh, co-editor-in-chief, The Roar introduced Mary Beth Tinker and the Tinker tour April 1  at Whitney High School. Here is her…

Watch the Tinker Tour April 1 via live streaming

Watch the western segment of the Tinker Tour as it visits Whitney High School and students from northern California April 1, 10 a.m. Pacific time.[pullquote]To watch the presentation live, visit www.wctv19.com[/pullquote] The Tinker Tour is a special project of the Student Press Law Center. Its goal is to bring real-life civics lessons to schools and communities…

How to apply to Making a Difference
and examine previous stories

  Advisers, as you publish your students’ work, by print, broadcast or web, consider sharing your pieces that created change, reported significant issues or fulfilled the journalistic concept of social responsibility with the JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee’s Making a Difference project. We want to make our posts monthly. These posts will highlight students who have made a difference through…

Fond du Lac English department statement
should be guide to those who face review

When the Fond du Lac English department issued a statement supporting embattled student journalists there March 21, they signaled clear support against those who would censor student expression. We urge other groups in high schools across the country follow their lead, especially if their student media labor under prior review. [pullquote]We urge other groups in…