Senator to introduce student press freedom bill

OLYMPIA — Legislation to protect and clarify the press rights of high school and college journalists will be introduced tomorrow in the Washington State Senate.

Sen. Joe McDermott (D-Seattle) is sponsoring a bill which prohibits unwarranted censorship of student media. A similar bill, sponsored by Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-Des Moines) passed the House of Representatives during the 2007 legislative session.

“Gaining experience in real life journalism is an important part of the learning process,” McDermott said. “This puts students that much closer to success in their professional careers.”

Student media groups believe that censorship has increased since the Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier Supreme Court decision in 1988. A more recent court ruling has also thrown the press rights of college journalists into question. Concerned groups from across the nation have expressed support for student press rights, including in Washington where 16 groups formed the Washington Coalition for Responsible Student Expression. This coalition supports strengthened student press rights, favors a free and responsible student press nationwide, and will serve as a catalyst for information and education on student press issues.

Senate Bill 6449 would allow high school teachers and administrators to review the content of student media in advance, and journalism advisers would still teach to high standards of newsgathering. A school official would also be able to censor content that is libelous, obscene, invades someone’s privacy or causes a serious disruption in the school. However, a school official could not censor simply because a story casts the school in a negative light or because they disagree with an editorial.

“I worry about a generation growing up without an appreciation of their constitutional rights and how to exercise those rights and responsibilities,” Upthegrove said. “One of the best ways to develop an appreciation of constitutional rights is to model and apply those constitutional freedoms in the school environment. This is why I introduced legislation last year, and why I will be supporting Sen. McDermott’s bill this year.”

The legislation would confirm that student editors determine the content of student media, and would also shield schools from unnecessary lawsuits.

Seven other states, including Oregon and California, have similar laws.

The Washington Coalition for Responsible Student Expression includes:

• Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington
• American Civil Liberties Union of Washington
• Association for Women in Communications – Seattle Professional Chapter
• Dow Jones Newspaper Fund
• J-Ideas
• Journalism Education Association
• Kent State University Center for Scholastic Journalism
• Poynter Institute for Media Studies
• Society of Professional Journalists – Western Washington Professional Chapter
• Student Press Law Center
• University of Washington – Department of Communication
• Washington Community College Journalism Association
• Washington Journalism Education Association
• Washington News Council
• Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
• Washington Student Lobby

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