An invaluable resource for any staff is the Student Press Law Center.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The First Amendment is what allows Americans freedom of speech. There have been many court cases over the years that have forced the Judicial Branch of our government to examine and re-examine this particular Amendment; this, of course, has led to many interpretations of the Amendment and has led to how we understand it today.
Over the years, we have seen that this topic is still widely disputed, especially among our adviser, student, and administrator customers. Everyone has their own opinion about what freedom of speech really is. Because this topic is so important (especially for people who are putting this freedom into action through journalism) and because it is such a disputed topic, we wanted our customerw to know about a resource that can help clarify some things and give credible information on this topic. This resource is the Student Press Law Center (SPLC).
The Student Press Law Center is an advocate for student First Amendment rights, for freedom of online speech, and for open government on campus. The SPLC helps students and teachers whose futures are in jeopardy because they refuse to back down in the face of unlawful censorship. They also help journalists in all media use open-government laws to hold schools and colleges accountable.
If you want to learn more about the Student Press Law Center then check out their website here: www.splc.org. They have a plethora of resources for students and advisers alike. Anyone who wants to get into journalism would do well to check these guys out! Especially if they feel that their freedom of speech is being unlawfully limited.
