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
Only the beginning of an important discussion
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Executive Director Ed Sullivan graciously agreed to share his comments from a listserv discussion about the recent Sixth Circuit court decision that teachers have no Teacher speech rights on school curriculum. You can find those comments on the CSJblog. His comments parallel another listserv discussion by Fellows of a ASNE Reynolds 2010 Institute:…
In journalism today, where does one role end and another begin?
In the wake of NPR’s firing of Juan Williams, questions emerge over the mixing of roles in new media and create confusion for journalists as well as communities. In short, as some say in coverage since Williams’ firing, what kinds of speech will be OK in the future and what does the incident say about…
Issues for possible discussion
Journalistically, it is been an interesting week for discussion issues. Two commercial issues and one scholastic event come to mind. • In Missouri, according to a SPLC News Flash, a school confiscated a student’s photos of an event in which a student was injured, would not allow the photographer to publish in print or online any…
Looking to meet your needs
Concerns bounced around the JEA listserv this week: • Who owns the copyright of student media work? • How to best answer ethical concerns about controversial stories? • What should a class in editorial leadership contain? • How do student media handle requests not to picture some students? Questions like these prompted JEA’s Scholastic Press…
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.