PublicForumsandStudentControlof

ContentinStudentPublications
NOTE:Thefollowinginformationistakenfromnumeroussources,includingorganizationssuchastheJournalismEducation
AssociationandtheStudentPressLawCenter,amongothers.ParticulardocumentsreferencedorquotedincludetheMcCormick
FoundationsProtocolforFreeandResponsibleStudentMedia(2010),theStudentPressLawCentersLiabilityforStudent
Media(2010),theQuillandScrollsPrincipalsGuidetoScholasticJournalism(www.principalsguide.org),andtheWebsiteofthe
JournalismEducationAssociationsScholasticPressRightsCommission.

TheJournalismEducationAssociationandotherscholasticjournalismorganizations,inordertohelp
studentslearnandpracticethevaluesoffreeexpressionandresponsibilityaswellastomeetthe
demandsoftheCommonCoreandtodevelopthe21stCenturyskillsofcriticalthinking,collaboration,
communication,andcreativity,recommendusingwordingsuchasathefollowinginschoolpolicies
governingstudentpublications:

SchoolsponsoredstudentpublicationsatNAMEOFSCHOOLareestablishedas
designatedpublicforumsforstudentexpression.Studentswillmakeallfinal
decisionsregardingcontent,andsuchpublicationswillnotbereviewedby
schoolofficialsoutsidetheadviserorrestrainedbyanyschoolofficialspriorto,
during,orafterpublicationordistribution.

But,
whatabout...
Well,
actually...
For
example...
Liability
fortheschooldistrictif
thestudentsinfringeon
someoneelsesrights
(throughlibel,invasion
ofprivacy,orother
unprotectedspeech)?

Publicforumstudentpublicationsrepresent
thevoiceofthestudentsandonlythe
students.Althoughtheschoolprovidesforthe
forum,themessagesconveyedwithinitarelegally
separatefromtheschool.Infact,theStudent
PressLawCenterisawareofnoreportedcourt
decisionswhereahighschoolhasbeenfound
liableforthecontentofitsstudentmedia(2010).

ItiswhenschoolsDONOTallowstudentsto
makecontentdecisionsthattheypossibly
becomeliableforthecontent(Yeov.Townof
Lexington)andruntheriskoflawsuitsfrom
studentswhomaybeabletoclaimparticularacts
ofcensorshipviolatetheirFirstAmendmentrights
(Tinkerv.DesMoinesIndependentCommunity
SchoolDistrictDeanv.UticaCommunity
Schools).

Whenitcomestoliability,itisfarLESS
RISKYtotreatpublicationsasforumsand
allowstudentstomakefinaldecisions.
Ifacitizentakesthe
microphoneandspeaksslander
duringanaudiencetovisitors
sessionatapublicschool
boardmeeting,theschool
districtwouldnotbelegally
liableforthespeech.This,
despitethefactthattheschool
districthostedthemeetingina
districtfacilityandpaidforthe
materialsusedandmadethe
speechpublicbyhostingitata
publicmeetingandpossibly
evenrecordingitforfuture
broadcast.Inanypublic
forum,theindividualswho
giveorwritethespeechare
liableforcontentratherthan
thepublicentitywho
providedtheforum.

But,
whatabout...
Well,
actually...
For
example...
Harm
possiblycausedifthe
studentspublish
incorrectinformationor
materialthat,while
legallyprotected,can
stillgetsomeonein
troubleorcause
problemsinoroutside
ofschool?

Thebestwaytominimizepurposefully
harmfulspeechinahighschoolsettingisto
involvestudentsinclassesandprogramsthat
teachstudentstherightsandresponsibilities
offreeexpressionandguidethemthrough
thevarietyofconsiderationstotakeinto
accountwhendecidingwhattosay.Strong
journalismprogramsandeditorialpoliciesallow
studentstopracticeethicaldecisionmakingand
criticalthinking,skillsthattrainthemtobebetter
citizensforlife(McCormickFoundation,2010)

Studentslearnmuchmorefromdiscussions
withstakeholdersandpeerswhentheyknow
theymustjustifyandtakeresponsibilityfor
theirdecisionsthantheydowhentheyknow
theirpowertomakeadecisionscaneasilybe
takenfromawayfromthem.Removingstudent
choicefromstudentpublicationsisalsomore
likelytoforcethemoutsideofthesystem,whereit
isincreasinglyeasyforthemtopublishunverified
andhurtfulmessagesoutsideofanyexperienced
guidance(QuillandScroll).

Whenitcomestostudentspublishingpossibly
harmfulspeech,studentsWILLNOTLEARNto
balancedifferent,competingconsiderationsif
adultstakecontrolofalldecisionsand
responsibility.

InanEnglishclassstudentsdo
notlearnargumentativewriting
andtheuseoftextualevidence
bybeingtoldperfect,right
toolstouseanddecisionsto
makeineveryscenario.They
aregivensolidmodelsand
guidancefromacertified
instructorandthengiventhe
chancetotryoutwhatthey
thinkworksbest.Duringand
aftertheprocess,thestudent
willconferwiththeteacherand
othersforadviceaboutwhat
worksandwhatdoesnt,butno
oneelsestepsintosay
particulararguments,evidence
orthoughts,arenotallowed.
Suchanactionwouldremove
thedecisionmaking(andthus,
thelearning)fromthestudent.
Theschoolprovidesstructure
andguidanceandmusttrust
studentstomakethebest
decisionstheycaninorder
fortruelearningandmastery
totakeplace.

Complaints
fromparentsor
communitymembers
whomightbeupset
aboutideasor
languageinthe
publicationthattheydo
notbelievetheschool
shouldbepublishingor
promoting?

Again,bydefinition,amessagepublishedin
apublicforumpublicationdoesnotrepresent
theviewsoftheschool.

AccordingtotheMcCormickFoundation,ina
democraticsociety,thelowestcommon
denominatoramongcitizensdoesnotgetto
dictatewhatinformationeveryoneelsereceivesby
stirringupcontroversy.Anessentialpartofthe
socializationmissionofschoolsistohelp
everyoneintheschoolcommunitylearntolerance
forviewsdifferentfromtheirown.Thismissionis
notservedbycategoricallybanningalldiscussion
ofcontroversialissuesonwhichstrongopinions
existfromthestudentmedia.Suchcategorical
prohibitionsgivethethinnestskinnedmemberof
theaudiencevetoauthorityoverwhatinformation
everyoneelsecanreceive(2010).

Althoughcomplaintswillalwayshappen,the
bestwaytominimizethemistoTRAIN
STUDENTStotakemanyviewpointsinto
considerationwhenmakingdecisionsandto
educatethecommunityonhowandwhysuch
decisionsarebeingmade.
Aschooldistrictimplementinga
neweducationalinitiative(such
astheCommonCoreor
standardsbasedgrading)
expectsthechangestobe
controversialandtoreceive
communicationfromparents
arguingagainstthechanges.
However,ratherthanavoidor
undosuchinitiativesbasedon
thesecomplaints,districtsseek
toexplainwhyandhowthe
decisionsarebestforstudents.
Theexistenceofcomplaints
andmisunderstandingsare
notareasontoabandonbest
practicesforstudentsbut
ratherproofthatmore
discussionandexplanation
maybenecessary.