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Protecting first amendment rights for campus student newspapers
Nation's first bill to protect freedom of speech for college journalists introduced to California State Legislature
Harambee News
Issue date: 5/5/06 Section: News
Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Y. Yee (D-San Francisco) held a press conference Tuesday, April 18 at Skyline College in San Bruno to introduce Assembly Bill 2581, "the Hosty bill."
AB 2581 would prohibit college administrators to censor student newspapers at California universities or community colleges. After a 7th Circuit court decision ruled that the First Amendment wasn't violated when a college dean required administration to review the paper prior to publication.
"College journalists deserve the same protections as any other journalist," said Yee, D-San Francisco, who introduced Assembly Bill 2581 in April.
"Having true freedom of the press is essential on college campuses and it is a fundamental part of a young journalist's training for real-world reporting," said Yee.
Hosty v. Carter involved two editors and a reporter from the student-run paper, the Innovator at Governor's State University in Illinois. After the paper published articles critical of the school's administration, the dean of student affairs required articles to be submitted to administration for prior approval before going to the printer. The students challenged the policy on First Amendment grounds and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
While California sits in the 9th Circuit, many college advisors became concerned when the General Counsel for the California State University System issued a "confidential" memo to CSU presidents that said, "The Hosty case appears to signal CSU campuses may have more latitude than previously believed to censor the content of a subsidized student newspaper."
"Censoring a college newspaper is not only a violation of freedom of speech and of the press," stated Black Caucus President Reginald James, "but it shows a lack of faith in the abilities of future media professionals by the administrators who are here to serve students."
At this time, there is no known opposition to AB 2581. Supporters include the California Newspapers Publishers Association, the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, California College Media Association and the California Journalism Education Coalition.
Reginald James is the 2006-07 Northern California President for the (JACC) Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
AB 2581 would prohibit college administrators to censor student newspapers at California universities or community colleges. After a 7th Circuit court decision ruled that the First Amendment wasn't violated when a college dean required administration to review the paper prior to publication.
"College journalists deserve the same protections as any other journalist," said Yee, D-San Francisco, who introduced Assembly Bill 2581 in April.
"Having true freedom of the press is essential on college campuses and it is a fundamental part of a young journalist's training for real-world reporting," said Yee.
Hosty v. Carter involved two editors and a reporter from the student-run paper, the Innovator at Governor's State University in Illinois. After the paper published articles critical of the school's administration, the dean of student affairs required articles to be submitted to administration for prior approval before going to the printer. The students challenged the policy on First Amendment grounds and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
While California sits in the 9th Circuit, many college advisors became concerned when the General Counsel for the California State University System issued a "confidential" memo to CSU presidents that said, "The Hosty case appears to signal CSU campuses may have more latitude than previously believed to censor the content of a subsidized student newspaper."
"Censoring a college newspaper is not only a violation of freedom of speech and of the press," stated Black Caucus President Reginald James, "but it shows a lack of faith in the abilities of future media professionals by the administrators who are here to serve students."
At this time, there is no known opposition to AB 2581. Supporters include the California Newspapers Publishers Association, the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, California College Media Association and the California Journalism Education Coalition.
Reginald James is the 2006-07 Northern California President for the (JACC) Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
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