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
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…
Fighting the chilling effects of censorship leads to students funding own outside school paper
by Liz Palmer Hazelwood stories: Six years ago we began teaching journalism as a husband-wife team at duPont Manual High School’s communications magnet program in Louisville, Kentucky. Around the same time, one of the assistant principals became principal. Manual is the city’s highest profile and most competitive magnet school, and it puts the principal under considerable…
California ed codes protect student expression, adviser teaching
by Casey Nichols Hazelwood stories: I live and teach in a state protected from the Hazelwood decision by a carefully crafted California Education Code. And yet, periodically it rears its ugly head. In the past 19 years since I’ve advised at Rocklin High School, in both yearbook and newspaper, a parent will on occasion take exception…
Tweet11: Approach controversy with confidence, professionalism
Don’t self-censor. Learn how to approach controversial stories with confidence and professionalism. #25HZLWD http://www.jeasprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SPRC-Standard-7-controv2.pdf Sometimes, being a student journalist means going head-to-head with others over stories that make people—even those on your staff—uncomfortable. Often, students are incredibly thoughtful and sensitive toward what stories might create tension or even generate real scrutiny of a person or…
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.