Rights and responsibilities of journalists
By Emily Gabel
Fairhope High School
Fairhope, Alabama
Jennifer Adams, director of Auburn University’s journalism department, discussed the topics of censorship, copyright and libel with members of the 2011 High School Journalism Workshop.
Instances of censorship, while not commonplace, were shared between students. Many students discussed the banning of articles, particularly those concerning controversial issues in society, communities and within high schools.
Adams informed students of the rights school officials possess to remove items from papers that are school sponsored or published in private schools. She also provided resources such as the Student Press Law Center, which provides free lawyers to protect students’ rights.
“You don’t want to get in a fight with someone who buys their ink by the barrel load,” Adams said.
Her words were an encouragement for students to stand their ground on issues that they feel strongly about. She advised students not to be discouraged from pushing issues they feel are important for their readers.
Adams also discussed topics, such as copyright infringement and libel, that students should avoid participating in.
Adams stressed the instance of copyright infringement that many students are often unaware of. In the age of technology, the ease of copy and pasting a photo with a small byline consisting of a “courtesy of” seems like a sufficient citation for the site. It surprised many students to learn it was not enough unless they had gotten specific permission from the original source.
The need for a reliable source is particularly important in journalism when subjects in a story make a claim that information published was false and damaging towards them. False information that is harmful and purposely published is libel. Corporations around the country are sued for millions each year for being libelous. Journalists are protected by courts, and if the story is proven to be true, they will win the suit.
In terms of high school, journalism issues of suit may seem to be a minor issue, but by being aware of not only the illegality of purposely publishing false information, but also the unethical implications, students learn responsibility for their what they publish in their publications.
Journalists have the unique opportunity to put a viewpoint out in the world for others to see. They write to an audience that views their publication as a reliable source, and in order to be such they are held to a standard to provide the news that is important to the community.
Fairhope High School
Fairhope, Alabama
Jennifer Adams, director of Auburn University’s journalism department, discussed the topics of censorship, copyright and libel with members of the 2011 High School Journalism Workshop.
Instances of censorship, while not commonplace, were shared between students. Many students discussed the banning of articles, particularly those concerning controversial issues in society, communities and within high schools.
Adams informed students of the rights school officials possess to remove items from papers that are school sponsored or published in private schools. She also provided resources such as the Student Press Law Center, which provides free lawyers to protect students’ rights.
“You don’t want to get in a fight with someone who buys their ink by the barrel load,” Adams said.
Her words were an encouragement for students to stand their ground on issues that they feel strongly about. She advised students not to be discouraged from pushing issues they feel are important for their readers.
Adams also discussed topics, such as copyright infringement and libel, that students should avoid participating in.
Adams stressed the instance of copyright infringement that many students are often unaware of. In the age of technology, the ease of copy and pasting a photo with a small byline consisting of a “courtesy of” seems like a sufficient citation for the site. It surprised many students to learn it was not enough unless they had gotten specific permission from the original source.
The need for a reliable source is particularly important in journalism when subjects in a story make a claim that information published was false and damaging towards them. False information that is harmful and purposely published is libel. Corporations around the country are sued for millions each year for being libelous. Journalists are protected by courts, and if the story is proven to be true, they will win the suit.
In terms of high school, journalism issues of suit may seem to be a minor issue, but by being aware of not only the illegality of purposely publishing false information, but also the unethical implications, students learn responsibility for their what they publish in their publications.
Journalists have the unique opportunity to put a viewpoint out in the world for others to see. They write to an audience that views their publication as a reliable source, and in order to be such they are held to a standard to provide the news that is important to the community.