2. JEA standardsJEA standards
• 1A.4. A solid foundation in law and ethics as
it applies to scholastic media, including
First Amendment-related rights and
responsibilities.
• 1A.5. Law and ethics as it relates to
scholastic media and its importance in
practice.
• Court cases
• Legal definitions
• Ethical frameworks
3. JEA standardsJEA standards
• First Amendment-related rights and
responsibilities
• What do students learn from being able to use their
voices?
• What should they learn about why a democracy needs
free speech and press?
• What do they learn about their responsibilities to their
audience?
4. The basicsThe basics
Court cases that relate to student media:
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent
Community School District
• Bethel School District v. Fraser
• Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
• Morse v. Frederick (Bong Hits)
• Yeo v.Town of Lexington (ads)
• Dean v. Utica Community Schools (6th
Federal Circuit Court – Michigan,
Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee)
6. The basicsThe basics
Other important definitions
• Censorship
• Prior review
• First Amendment
• Cybermedia legal issues
• Protecting sources
• Access
• Sunshine and open meeting laws
• FOIA
7. The basicsThe basics
• Ethical issues
• Law asks,“Could we?
• Ethics asks,“Should we?”
• Balanced coverage
• What’s necessary to cover the topic?
• Biases and slants
• The need for transparency
• Anonymous sources
8. Where to lookWhere to look
Student Press Law Center <www.splc.org>
Law of the Student Press (4th
edition)
JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Committee
<jeasprc.org>
9. Getting answersGetting answers
contact me: cbowen@kent.edu
Certification Committee chair Kim Green:
kgreenmje@GMAIL.COM
Press Rights Committee chair John Bowen
jbowen1007@aol.com
study guide online at www.jea.org/certification
follow us on Twitter @jeaCertified or
@jeapressrights
http://www.slideshare.net/candaceperkinsbowen/
10. Getting answersGetting answers
contact me: cbowen@kent.edu
Certification Committee chair Kim Green:
kgreenmje@GMAIL.COM
Press Rights Committee chair John Bowen
jbowen1007@aol.com
study guide online at www.jea.org/certification
follow us on Twitter @jeaCertified or
@jeapressrights
http://www.slideshare.net/candaceperkinsbowen/
Editor's Notes
Law and ethics standards are the foundation upon which all scholastic journalism programs are built. Therefore, the Commission has determined that passing the law and ethics questions is essential. Candidates must score 75 percent or higher on the law and ethics questions—in both multiple choice and short answer sections—to pass. Your cumulative score must also be 75 percent or higher to earn Certification. If you don’t pass the law and ethics part but score well on everything else, you may take an alternate version of the law and ethics questions within one year for a small administrative fee. You will not have to retake the other parts of the test if you earned a 75 percent or higher in those areas.
Students learn their voices matter and they can make a difference. They learn that citizens should use those voices to better their community and country. They learn citizens can’t vote intelligently if they don’t know the facts. Etc.
These are the important court cases. What’s most important is what they mean to today’s journalism educators.
Although there are 9 areas of unprotected speech, these five are the most troublesome for those in scholastic journalism.