1:8 Scholastic Journalism

Journalism in schools

Scholastic Journalism

• Refers to journalism as practiced in:– College– High School– Junior High School– Middle School– Elementary School

Scholastic Journalism

• The legal guidelines for journalism in schools comes from:– The Supreme Court– State Legislation– School District Policy

Scholastic Journalism

• Three Major Supreme Court cases:– Tinker v. Des Moines, 1969– Bethel v. Fraser, 1986– Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, 1988

Tinker v. Des Moines

• Established that students have First Amendment rights

• Students can express opinions at school as long as they do not materially and substantially disrupt the school day

Bethel v. Fraser

• Facts of the case– Two vocabulary

words:• Innuendo:• Vulgar

Bethel v. Fraser

• Established that while students have the freedom to express themselves, the school has the right to determine HOW they express those opinions

• The school can limit vulgarity within its boundaries to ensure a positive learning environment for all students

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

• Did not reverse or overturn the Tinker decision, but placed more restriction on the student press or the expression that any activity may have.

• Administrators have the right to prior review and prior restraint

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

• Prior review: Administrators have a right to see any publication before it goes to press

• Prior restraint: Administrators may prohibit publication or expression of a viewpoint for legitimate, pedagogical reasons

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

• School administrators have to be viewpoint neutral– They cannot just censor

expression because it is a different opinion than their own

– They need to apply similar guidelines to all forms of expression

Scholastic Journalism

• Primary purpose of journalism in schools is to practice the craft of reporting, interviewing, editing and publishing– Student journalists need to

be aware of the state, district, and school guidelines.