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
Jan. 13 decision paralyzes student mood about journalism
by Brenda Gorsuch Hazelwood stories: When I became the newspaper adviser at West Henderson High School in 1983, I loved telling my students about the Supreme Court’s Tinker v. Des Moines Community School District decision from 1969. I enjoyed listening to them discuss the rights the First Amendment and the Court had guaranteed them. My students…
School censorship costs advisers, students at Illinois student media
by Randy Swikle Hazelwood stories: Here is a nutshell of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois., and how Hazelwood diminished Barb Thill’s J-program: In Illinois, all but four staff members of one of the nation’s most honored student newspapers quit the publication and dropped their journalism class after school officials publicly rebuked student reporters and their…
Tweet14: Use anonymous sources sparingly
Tweet-14–Use anonymous sources sparingly and have good reason for doing so. #25HZLWD http://jeasprc.org/tweet14-use-anonymous-sources-sparingly/ For any journalist, using anonymous sources creates a true predicament—one in which the newspaper’s credibility is on the line, and the reporter takes full responsibility for the authenticity and accuracy of whatever the anonymous source says. This is a difficult and precarious situation…
Students stop presses to tell Hazelwood story,
principal wears black armbands with them
by Terry Nelson Hazelwood stories: Yorktown High School newspaper/ Broadcaster students of 1988, do you remember the Hazelwood First Amendment Supreme Court decision? It was 25 years ago… Here’s how I recall our story… I can’t believe it was 25 years ago. My students and I had discussed the Hazelwood case extensively in class, so…
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.