Chapt 3 and 4

Chapter 3

The courts and Student publications in Public institutions

Things I have learned: Administrator and faculty members in public colleges often try to control the press.

Brooklyn College newspaper was revoked because they didn’t print double editorials (DUMB)
E. Carolina University suspended the editor for writing a biased coverage to student government campaign. (just poor journalism, but he shouldn’t be suspended)

Daily Illini students had a sudden requirement to make certain grades and sign pledges. (eek, we should never do that.)

Court cases of freedom of press were few until the Vietnam War when newspapers came out opposing the war. The courts told administrators and officials that they could not censor, restrain or control content for student publications. Colleges could only partially control the “time, place, and manner of distribution which posed a serious threat to the discipline, operation or safety of the college or its personnel” page 58

Case after case in this chapter shows that state universities are part of the state therefore their publications, radio etc are protected under the First amendment and cannot be censored by the administration, or any agent of the state.

The first amendment protects the free expression of the staff member s of the student publication at a public college as long as it does not conflict with education. “a university cannot withdraw fin. aid of the university from a campus student newspaper because the newspaper editorializes in favor of something unorthodox ex. Racial segregation.

Question: The Triton is getting less money next year. I think it is because we printed things ECOS doesn’t like. Is this a violation of our rights? I know this Chapter is about public schools, but still. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT!

Campus newspapers have the right to print paid political advertisement materials in the paper and can criticize officials in editorials. The university cannot support the paper, then restrict what is published even if only the material is submitted to a board to see whether is complies with freedom of the press. Student newspapers do not speck for their readers and do not expect readers to change their minds based on what is printed. (THIS IS A GOOD NE) ** The newspaper is not required to publish the views of all students**page 38

Oh man this is a good one! Can you say ECOS budget committee??!!!! The university can not decrease the distribution by the student organization when “readership had dropped”. The first amendment protects writing the articles all the way through reading the finished product. DANITA! ECOS dropped out budget by 3 thousand dollars and “recommended” in my appeal with them that we print less papers because NO one reads them. Can we write an article about this? Are we protected in a private school????? Please say yes. I’ll write it!

On page 41 can we include some kind of agreement like that with my addition of media ethics???

Faculty advisor comments and editorials are protected by the First amendment.

School newspapers meet the general definitions of being a newspaper since they are
printed
distributed at stated intervals
convey news
advocate opinions
usually contain advertisements and other matters of public interest



Chapter 4
The Courts and Student publications in Private Colleges

Things I have learned:
The right of freedom of the press has not been established in the rulings of the court. (WHY NOT)

The First amendment does not approve repression of that freedom by private interests.

On basis of John Marshall’s description of American higher education as being private and elite in nature, the courts refrained from exercising jurisdiction on campuses from 1819to the 1960s. Few cases involving student presses on private college campuses have come up, so there is no specific attitude toward them.

In a case at DePaul University, the dean confiscated 7000 copies of a paper that had a rape story in it and the editor was expelled, but reinstated later. (Violation of freedom of the press)

In order to be a private institution and not part of the ‘state’ the private colleges must have more than just a state receipt of receiving funds.

THIS IS INTERSTING! The NY Supreme court ruled that Ithaca College did not have the status of private institution because of its role in the community and society. Question: What about Eckerd?

Because there have been few cases that are brought to the courts regarding the private college presses, we can only speculate as to the rights we have and hope that Eckerd tries to hold our freedom of the press at a high level.