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
Lessons in transparency, by George
by Stan Zoller, MJE Unlike sports, journalism has no season. While a football season may go three months, a journalism season goes nine. And then some. So even as advisers get ready to distribute yearbooks or put out that last edition of the paper, their work, and that of their student journalists, is not over….
Editors tell their stories; change minds
Telling an unfiltered story to peers is sometimes difficult. Telling your own story about your sexuality can be even more difficult. Three editors of The Howler at Monarch High School In Louisville, Colorado, found a way to tell the stories they knew needed to be published. The end result created a place where all kids…
Adviser will have to OK anonymous sources,
school board cites journalism standards
Student media advisers at Northern Highlands High School in New Jersey must now give prior permission for student journalists to grant anonymity to a source according to a revised policy the board of education adopted April 28. The criteria an adviser might have to determine, according to an article at NorthJersey.com, consists of “the credibility, motivation and bias”…
What’s in your editorial policies,
board- and publication-level,
does make a difference
Sometimes adversity can be a blessing in disguise. At least that is the point SaraRose Martin, co-editor of Fauquier High School’s The Falconer published May 8. In a column, Martin said administrative censorship helped her learn she had rights and how political the world is. “I learned how much I believe in free speech and the…
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.