College officials can say "stop the press" to student journalists whose publications are not clearly designated as public forums, a federal court said yesterday. A "public forum" would be a publication where students have been given clear authority to make decisions about contents.

The Student Press Law Center has the story and a press release saying that the court decision, bringing some college publications under an an earlier decision about high school publications, is "a recipe for confusion and conflict."

SPLC Executive Director Mark Goodman said most college student newspapers will be considered designated public forums and entitled to the strongest First Amendment protection, "because that's the way they've been operating for decades."

"But this decision gives college administrators ammunition to argue that many traditionally independent student activities are subject to school censorship," he said. "I fear it's just a matter of time before a university prohibits a student group from bringing an unpopular speaker to campus or showing a controversial film..."

Some 25 state and national media organizations,  journalism schools and civil rights groups had urged the court to uphold the students' First Amendment rights in the case.

The Chronicle of Higher Education summary:

A 1988 SUPREME COURT DECISION that gave high-school
   administrators the authority to review and censor student
   publications is applicable to student newspapers at public
   colleges under some conditions, a federal appeals court ruled
   on Monday.

The Chronicle article, "Ruling That Allows High Schools to Censor Student Publications Can Apply to Public Colleges, Federal Court Says," is available online to non-subscribers for up to five days, or to subscribers at this address.

Findlaw has a PDF file of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit decision.

11:34:50 AM  #