LEGAL FAQ’S: CENSORSHIP

What is censorship?

1. Prohibiting publication of information, preventing reporters access to public information, or creating an atmosphere in which student censor themselves. (http://principalsguide.org/the-first-amendment-and-student-media/)
2. Prior review: the act of someone outside a student publication staff, typically an administrator, requiring approval of student media content before publication. This frequently leads to prior restraint, a practice rejected by journalism educators as educationally unsound.
3. Prior restraint:  the act of someone outside a student publication staff prohibiting student media content prior to publication. This form of censorship is frequently the result of prior review.
4. Public school officials do not have unlimited authority to censor student media
5. Content for tjTODAY is decided BY STUDENTS, not administrators, not your adviser. Own the responsibility to avoid censorship!
6. For more information: http://www.splc.org/page/high-school
7. For you judicial branch gurus: http://jea.org/wp/home/curriculum-resources/important-cases/

See More Legal Issue FAQ’s

• Libel
• Privacy Concerns
• Copyright Infringement
• Fair Use
• Press Freedoms