Hey, Student Journalists
DO YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS?
Law // Ethics // Press Freedom
STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER
Presentation: Press Freedom
A presentation covering the basics of the First Amendment, press freedom, censorship, differences between public and private school law, some landmark cases, and more.
View Presentation ⟶
View Presentation notes ⟶
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
SIGNIFICANT COURT CASES
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1969 that dealt with the rights of students to express their political views in public schools. The case involved a group of students who were suspended from school for wearing black armbands as a form of protest against the Vietnam War. The students argued that their First Amendment rights were being violated, and the Supreme Court agreed, ruling that students do not lose their constitutional rights when they enter a school. The court held that students have a right to express their political views as long as it does not disrupt the educational process. This landmark case in 1969 set a precedent for protecting students' freedom of expression in public schools.
Learn more about this case ⟶
View more notable scholastic press cases ⟶
The importance of dissent ⟶
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
SIGNIFICANT COURT CASES
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier was a Supreme Court case in 1988 that dealt with the rights of high school students to express themselves in a school-sponsored publication. The case involved a high school newspaper that was censored by the school's principal. The students argued that their First Amendment rights were being violated, but the Supreme Court ruled that school officials have the right to censor school-sponsored publications as long as they have a legitimate educational reason for doing so. This case established that while students have the right to free speech, it is not absolute in the school setting and can be limited by school officials if it is deemed necessary for an educational purpose.
Learn more about the case ⟶
"What We Need from the 'Next Journalism'" ⟶
Defamation
LIBEL / SLANDER
Libel, slander, and defamation are all legal terms that refer to the act of making false statements that harm someone's reputation.
Libel refers to written or published false statements that harm someone's reputation.
Slander refers to spoken false statements that harm someone's reputation.
Defamation is a general term that can refer to both libel and slander.
All three terms refer to an individual or organization making false statements about another individual or organization that harm their reputation or standing in the community. In order to prove defamation, the person who claims to have been defamed must show that the false statement was made and that it caused harm to their reputation.