Student Press Law Center Explained

Student Press Law Center
Abbreviation:SPLC
Type:501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Tax Id:52-1184647
Purpose:Advocate for student journalists and open government on campus
Headquarters:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Region Served:United States
Leader Title:Executive Director
Leader Name:Gary Green

The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote, support and defend press freedom rights for student journalists at high schools and colleges in the United States. It is dedicated to student free-press rights and provides information, advice and legal assistance at no charge for students and educators.[1]

SPLC was founded in 1974.[2] The Kennedy Memorial Foundation and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press created the center at the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into High School Journalism in Captive Voices, a book that found that censorship was pervasive and identified the need for an organization that would stand up for students’ First Amendment rights.[3] The center became a separate corporation in 1979.[4] It is the only legal assistance agency in the United States with the primary mission of educating high school and college journalists about the rights and responsibilities embodied in the First Amendment and supporting the freedom of expression of student news media to address issues and express themselves free from censorship.[5] [6] [7]

SPLC is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) corporation. It is headquartered in the University of California Building in Washington, D.C. It was previously headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, where it shared a suite of offices with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.[8]

Services

The Student Press Law Center:

Advocacy

SPLC has advocated for the passage of "New Voices" legislation at the state level to protect student journalists' rights.[16] [17] Its efforts led to proposed legislation in ten states: in Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri,[18] [19] Nebraska,[20] New Jersey,[21] New York,[22] Iowa,[23] Tennessee,[24] West Virginia, and Texas. Thanks to the grassroots movement behind New Voices — spearheaded nationally by SPLC — West Virginia became the 17th state with such legislation in 2023.[25]

In 2015, SPLC aided Prosper High School student journalists who were censored and removed from their student newspaper after reporting on a teacher criticizing their colleague for reporting a school-related incident of inappropriate sexual conduct to police.[26] [27]

In 2018, the center supported two student reporters whose high school administration shut down their student newspaper when their investigating revealed a teacher was fired for exchanging inappropriate text messages with an underage student.[28] [29] [30]

In 2021, attorneys from the Student Press Law Center, alongside other free-speech groups, submitted an amicus curiae in the supreme court case Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., which stated the court had unconstitutionally established students as second-class citizens as a consequence of school enrollment.[31]

Newspaper theft

The organization tracks the theft of free newspapers on college campuses. The group considers the disappearance of the student newspapers as censorship by theft.[32] [33]

Governance and staff

SPLC is run by an executive director and a board of directors composed primarily of attorneys, professional journalists and journalism educators.[34] The current executive director, Gary Green, began in the role in April 2023.[35] The previous executive director, Hadar Harris, served from September 2017 to February 2023.[36] [37] Frank LoMonte[38] served as executive director from January 2008 until September 2017.[39] [40] He was preceded by Mark Goodman, who served from 1985 to 2007.[41]

Funding

SPLC is supported by contributions from student journalists, journalism educators, and other individuals, as well as by donations from foundations and corporations. On January 23, 2007, SPLC successfully completed a three-year $3.75 million endowment campaign, spurred by a challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.[42] [43] In 2017, the organization's total revenue was $763,920, as shown on IRS Form 990.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ralston. Neil. Hudson. David L.. September 2017. 2009. Student Press Law Center. June 26, 2021. The First Amendment Encyclopedia. First Amendment Center. September 2017.
  2. Web site: 2017-07-17. Breaking the back of Hazelwood: a press lawyer's decade-long campaign. 2020-07-08. Poynter. en-US.
  3. Web site: History of the Student Press Law Center . 2023-08-25 . Student Press Law Center . en-US.
  4. Web site: David L. Jr.. Hudson. Student Press Law Center. 2020-07-08. www.mtsu.edu. en.
  5. Web site: SCJ . www.scj.us . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070621124321/http://www.scj.us/constitution/structure.shtml . 2007-06-21 .
  6. Web site: Student Press Law Center. Idealist. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520050419/http://www.idealist.org/view/org/5TpMp4zTbZMD/. 20 May 2011.
  7. Web site: Got Censorship? Here's A Place To Turn . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605223322/http://www.poynterextra.org/centerpiece/highschool/law_splc.htm . 5 June 2011 . Poynter's High School Journalism Guide . dead .
  8. Web site: Student Press Law Center director tells UMD students their rights have "gotten worse". The Diamondback.
  9. Web site: Student Press Law Center Legal Hotline . 2023-08-25 . Student Press Law Center . en-US.
  11. Web site: Student Press Law Center. www.splc.org.
  12. News: Strauss. Valerie. April 5, 2017. Analysis What protections do student journalists really have? Check your state on this map.. 2020-07-08. Washington Post. en.
  13. Web site: Student Press Law Center. www.splc.org.
  14. Web site: Awards. https://web.archive.org/web/20140827192950/http://www.splc.org/aboutus/csjaward.asp. 27 August 2014. SPLC.
  15. Web site: Poynter. https://web.archive.org/web/20051028151603/https://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=91253. dead. 2005-10-28. Poynter.
  16. Web site: New Voices . Student Press Law Center . 2 August 2019.
  17. Web site: 2017-09-08. A nationwide movement protecting the student press from censorship gains momentum. 2020-07-08. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. en-US.
  18. Web site: House Bill 480. Missouri Legislature. 101st General Assembly, 1st Regular Session..
  19. Web site: Senate Bill 434: Establishes the "Cronkite New Voices Act" to protect the freedom of press in school-sponsored media. Missouri Legislature..
  20. Web site: LEGISLATIVE BILL 88. Nebreska State Legislature.
  21. Web site: Bill A169: Concerns speech rights of student journalists at public schools and public institutions of higher education.. New Jersey State Legislature.
  22. Web site: New Voices in New York. 2021-07-12. Student Press Law Center. en-US.
  23. Web site: 2021-05-27. SPLC commends Iowa's recent efforts to extend censorship protections to advisers. 2021-07-12. Student Press Law Center. en-US.
  24. Web site: New Voices in Tennessee. 2021-07-12. Student Press Law Center. en-US.
  25. Web site: Editor-in-Chief . Trenton Straight . 2023-08-23 . Justice signs student press freedom bill into law . 2023-08-25 . The Daily Athenaeum - West Virginia University . en.
  26. Web site: Miller. Steve. 2018-08-24. Administrator who helped cover up sexual misconduct is still working for Prosper ISD. 2020-09-23. The Texas Monitor. en-US.
  27. News: Peiser. Jaclyn. 2018-07-01. Hard News. Angry Administration. Teenage Journalists Know What It's Like.. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-06-26. 0362-4331.
  28. News: Proulx. Natalie. 2019-05-09. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? (Published 2019). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-01-18. 0362-4331.
  29. Web site: Utah high school receives tongue-in-cheek 'award' for censoring its student newspaper. 2021-01-18. The Salt Lake Tribune. en-US.
  30. News: Rosenberg. Eli. January 24, 2018. Their school deleted an article on a teacher's firing. So these teens published it themselves.. The Washington Post.
  31. Web site: March 31, 202. Amicus curiae et. al.. On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in MAHANOY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT versus B.L..
  32. Web site: Fletcher. Paul. 2019-12-26. Censorship by theft. 2020-07-08. Virginia Lawyers Weekly. en-US.
  33. Web site: 2019-12-13. Student Press Law Center Newspaper theft in 2019: 8,500+ issues stolen, trashed in 13 incidents. 2020-07-08. Student Press Law Center. en-US.
  34. Web site: Student Press Law Center. www.splc.org.
  35. Web site: 2023-03-07 . Gary Green Joins Student Press Law Center as Executive Director . 2023-05-25 . Student Press Law Center . en-US.
  36. Web site: Student Press Law Center names new executive director. 20 November 2007.
  37. Web site: Student journalists navigate coronavirus pandemic. 2020-07-08. www.insidehighered.com. en.
  38. Web site: Student Press Law Center executive director gives interview about New Jersey's New Voices law. Roxann. Elliott.
  39. Web site: Student Press Law Center names new executive director.
  40. Web site: Univ. law graduate earns prestigious position. https://web.archive.org/web/20120311091034/http://redandblack.com/2007/11/14/univ-law-graduate-earns-prestigious-position/. 11 March 2012. 14 November 2007. Red and Black.
  41. Web site: A Message from the Board of Directors of the Student Press Law Center.
  42. Web site: Student Press Law Center Seeks to Raise $3.75M for an Endowment. Editor and Publisher. https://web.archive.org/web/20050318105524/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000845322. 18 March 2005. 17 March 2005.
  43. Web site: News Flash. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070218055554/http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1410. 2007-02-18. SPLC.

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