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Kate Hoover
Ms. Gardner
Honors English 10, Period 2
8 May 2014
Journalism and School Censorship: the Harsh Truth
The First Amendment protects the American citizens freedom: of religion, of speech, of
press, of assembly, and of petition. Censorship is the practice or system of censoring or
restricting. Censorship is the use of restriction, and freedom is the privilege of being independent
from restrictions: like brushing your teeth then drinking a glass of orange juice, these two acts
should not be paired. Is it possible for these twoa law and an action that breaks itto co-exist?
Student journalists of a public school personally exercise their freedom of press, which includes,
the right of expression in official school publications (Qtd. in Des Moines Tribune), as well
as the act of censoring: journalistic censorship restricts the freedom of press. Exceptions can be
made, The First Amendment and censorship can co-exist legally, if publications are obscene,
vilifying or encourage students to partake in unlawful acts, violate school regulations, or disrupt
the orderly system of the school. Censorship within a student-run publication directly impacts the
content that is released to be viewed by the audience: students, parents, teachers, and the greater
community. The First Amendment, more specifically the freedom of press, is a controversial
subject regarding high school newspapers: student journalists and newspapers should have the
same freedom of press as professional journalists and publications.
Arguably, Justices of the Supreme Court ruled that the advisors of a student-run
newspaper, for the most part, do not violate the First Amendment when control over students
right to free speech is used. As the Des Moines Register points out, student-run newspapers can
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be subject to editorial overview by school administrators without violating the First Amendment
and the students rights. Students are not experts, and a knowledgeable advisor can help the
students to understand the complex legal system, avoid libel actions, and avert common missteps
when running a publication. Lisa Black, a reporter of the Chicago Tribune, notes that, officials
are censoring the school newspaper in order to protect the schools image. School officials may
be more concerned about the communitys reaction to the newspaper articles than the impact
within the school, and the school has the deciding control over the newspaper. Ultimately, the
school has overruling control and censorship abilities regarding the schools newspaper, but this
ability to censor a students words is undoubtedly affecting a students freedom of speech and
press. Certainly, the oversight and censorship of an advisor can provide help on a professional
level; consequently, it is damaging the young journalists motivation, putting up a useless fight
against the growing age of social media, and defeating the purpose of creativity and expression.
Surely, school censorship has the ability to produce a professional-looking publication
that will reflect positively on the reputation of the school; nonetheless, adultsadvisorsare
simply putting a damper on the enthusiasm of the student journalists by censoring the hard work
and pride that is put into an article or page of controversial content. Mark Walsh, a writer for
Education Week, a United States national newspaper covering Kindergarten through 12
th
grade
education, argues that students who produce a newspaper as a part of their schools journalism
class seek to breach mature topics that would be of interest to their classmates. Students work
incredibly hard to refine and perfect stories that follow contentious subjects; when covering a
controversial topic, students are likely to approach the content in a professional manner. Student-
run newspapers produce content that might be seen as controversial with the notion that it will be
viewed by their peers, as well as the locality of the high schoolknowing that their words are
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seen by a large audience of keen readers, student journalists will possess the maturity to include
argumentative subjects in the paper. Restricting, modifying, or pressing Ctrl Z to a students
work that may be considered inappropriate merely adds a thin layer of protection over the
content and drains the student of possible devotion and eagerness to continue within the field: the
future of journalism in its entirety is uncertainnewspapers, yearbooks, photographs,
magazines, websites, blogsonce all of the budding journalists are torn down by the buzz saw
known as censorship.
Teenagers living in the time of social media and the overwhelming use of technology are
already exposed to topics that would be considered explicit content and subject to censorship.
Even if there was once a time when content could be censored without word getting out or
rumors being spread like a wildfire, Gene Policinski describes in an article written for the
Gannett News Service, that time is long gone on the era of tweets, emails, blogs, and
Facebook. Ironically, controversies surrounding students versus the school administration have
inspired news and media attention from across the United States of America, reports Chris
Palmer of the Philadelphia Tribune. It would seem a fair and honest article that includes
controversial content would be preferred over offensive, often incorrect, whispers and gossip. In
some instances, the censored material may take on the characteristics of doublespeak, where the
toned-down version of the material replaces the truth with a less realistic and factual version;
thus, publishing an account that has been previously modified by censorship that disguises the
raucous facts could also mean publishing an account that contains false material. Obviously, in
the direction that modern technology and social media is leading the high school generation, the
student body has most likely already uncovered the facts, the truth, and the reality of what may
be considered dubious. Student journalists deserve the freedom of covering controversial topics:
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after all, a majority of teenage life is controversial enoughthere is no point in censoring what
the majority of the audience already knows.
The purpose of school newspapers is to give voice to those who cannot speak up, to listen
to those who deserve to be heard, and to show the realities of high school to those who need to
see them, whether these realities are harsh or not. Many schools publications are not only
incorporated and woven into the schools curriculum, but also a public mechanism for the
expression of students: journalism is a way to bring creative thoughts into guidelines that are
solidified into a paper and printed for the public eye to see. Instead of bubbling in answers for a
test, or filling out numerous worksheets to teach a subject, [students] need to learn to think and
problem solve (Qtd. in Black). This early development of learning how to process
controversies, working under the pressures of a strict schedulewherever the next news story
isand dealing with the stress of deadlines gives incipient journalists an inside glimpse at what
the real world of journalism is like. Adding censorship and editorial oversight only takes away
from the broad definitions of a journalist: someone who writes raw material, someone who
writes what the people need to know, and someone who writes the truth for a mass audience.
Student journalists deserve the independence from advisor censorship, as well as the ability to
assess what is publically and socially acceptable to include in a publication in order to shed light
on realities that the public deserves to see.
In summation, censoring students within a school newspaper should not be allowed: it
strips away students motivation, a majority of the student body has already unmasked the
explicit content that was restricted, and it defeats the purpose of a school publication: free
expression. Censorship takes away from a students freedom of speech and freedom of pressan
act of dehumanizing student journalists from their basic rightsas well as their independence
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and ability to handle mature subjects that they will eventually be exposed to once they enter the
real world of professional journalism. The students that strive for a future in the field of
journalism and contain a passion for attaining the qualities of a journalist should be entitled to
the same treatment as a professional. Adultsprofessionalswill have no idea what student
journalists are capable of, and will never know, unless these budding journalists are giving the
uncensored freedom that is greatly deserved.

















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Works Cited
Black, Lisa. "For School Papers, An Unwritten Future." Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL). 10 Feb.
2010: 1+. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
"Court Wisely Interprets Students' Rights." Des Moines Register. 15 Nov. 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Palmer, Chris. "Student Newspaper to Resume 'Redskin' Ban." Philadelphia Inquirer. 24 Dec.
2013: B.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Policinski, Gene. "Trying to Stifle Student Reporting Just Won't Work." Gannett News Service.
17 May. 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014
Walsh, Mark. "Student-Press Ruling Resonates from 1988." Education Week. 09 Jan. 2013: 1.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

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