Press Rights
JEA stands firmly behind student journalists’ press freedom. Where journalism students delve into the impact of such events as the invasion of the Capitol Jan. 6 and issues stemming from it, they create community engagement and understanding of journalistic responsibility, roles and values. Where the same students make final decisions of content without prior review and restraint, democracy’s ideals flourish and expand. We denounce all efforts to stifle student journalists, and we stand in solidarity with advisers who support them.
Constitution Day is Sept. 17
2025 Theme: Power to the People
The Scholastic Press Rights Committee has put together a set of activities and materials around the 2025 theme "Power to the People" for teachers to use in their classrooms this Constitution Day, Sept. 17. They range from full lesson plans to quick activities and ways to promote Constitution Day in your school community.
Press Rights Quick Links
Prior Review | Law-Ethics Manual | Key Cases | What Are Ethics | Tools of Truth
Diverse thinking, open eyes key
to pursuing Hazelwood legislation
by Stan Zoller, MJE Ah, fall. Football, the World Series, Homecoming, and Halloween are all traditions and events synonymous with autumn. There seems, however, to be another occurrence that becomes front and enter as the leaves change color: Drives for legislation that gives scholastic journalists that opportunity to practice uninhibited free and responsible journalism. Call…
Student journalists report on Genius Girl story that goes viral
The student journalists at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology knew the story that was going viral in the public media about a student from their school needed to be told from the inside by the people who knew the real story. The story of the ‘Genius Girl’ from TJHSST moved through public media…
From mission to manual: Fitting the pieces into a strong Foundation
Part 4 of a series on pieces of the journalism puzzle: fitting the pieces into a strong foundation The four pieces soft the journalistic puzzle – mission statement, editorial policy, ethical guidelines and staff manual – complement each other in a way to show student participants and community members what they can expect. Taken together, they…
Points to avoid in mission statements
Part 3 of a series on pieces of the journalism puzzle: mission pieces to omit by John Bowen As with any guiding statement, unclear, undefineable or imprecise wording can lead to misinterpretation of intended principles. Thus, we would suggest mission statements do not include these terms: Entertain(ment). To make this a major point of your mission…
Need help with a censorship issue? You found it.
If you are a JEA member or students of a JEA member who need assistance concerning censorship issues, use the panic button below to generate an online form to explain your situation. This will go to a Scholastic Press Rights Committee member who will assist you quickly and notify others in your state so they can offer assistance. This outreach capability is a direct result of JEA’s Adviser Assistance Program and is designed to combat censorship issues advisers and students might face.