more of Chapter 5

2nd part starting at page 163

Legal responsibility of the college press

The student publication can be sued for libel, right of privacy and contempt. The college is ultimately responsible for the paper. In most cases the student writer and editor cannot be held legally responsible.

Right to privacy is anything that is published that will cause shame, humiliation… basically intruding on people’s private business which the public has no legit concern for.

Everyone who handles the copy of something that is libelous is responsible for it and can be charged for it.

State legislators do not have direct effects on private institutions. Private institutions are only affected indirectly by certain laws that are passed.

Students cannot necessarily speak freely on issues in the state legislation. I am not sure I understand why….

According to the author, student papers also get a lot of protest if they print political or economic articles that go against the stance of the state legislators. Page 168

It is mentioned on page 170 about the likelihood of being removed for taking a stand on a controversial subject. It could happen, but more likely won’t stick?... I was kind of confused by the example used.

The author states that an organization can’t force a publication to refuse advertising. It is the editor in chief responsibility to ultimately decide what goes in the paper. The organization can disagree, write letters, or remove their ads but cannot force a paper to turn down other ads.
Journalists should never accept bribes or anything that would sway their portrayal of information to the public.

Alumni sometimes have control in the paper because they fund it or the paper is not claimed by the university.


Student Government Attempts to control the student press

Student governments attempt to control the press by withdrawing funds. There needs to be a clear explanation of how the paper is related to student government. Some think it is a student organization to be controlled by the senate, since the students fund it. Some (including me) think it should be regarded as a separate function with no outside rule page 178

When conflicts between student governments and newspapers cannot be resolved, some staffs choose to resign and start a new paper, or attempt to get student body support to protest.

I noticed that a lot of these examples are from the 50’s-60’s. I wish there were more recent ones.

Editors are not necessarily forced out after undesirable situations. Page 182 I know this one all too well.

The author makes it very clear that the student editor is not the publisher. I GET IT

The author makes a point that it is important to have a written policy.

The college has some control of an off campus paper because of their definitions of admission and student. Page 189
The author makes a perfect statement saying that the student government should be limited to representation on the publications board. 1 PERSON page 191


Page 190 the institution which wants its students to have the utmost freedom of expression can best do this by permitting the publication to be operated as a separate entity, independently financed and controlled by those who participate in its publication. (Although independently hopefully means not student government, but separate funding) with help from Faculty advisor for a controlled press that has an authority to help protect and teach the staff. Student editors should control the subject matter in the paper and day to day stuff. Faculty advisors should critique instruct and train students and represent the administration to the students and the students to the administration. And the publications board should deal with policy role of publications in the institution.

I think I am beginning to understand this much better. I wish I would have had all of this info last year. I feel more confident about my position.