Student journalists are the voice of the future
It is the utmost duty of journalists to provide true and ethical information to the public, especially in light of national and local elections approaching in November. As student journalists in particular, we strive to remind everyone, especially younger generations, that they have a voice; a voice that is the future of America.
The First Amendment of our Constitution states that each citizen of the United States possess the right of freedom of speech, and that newspapers possess the freedom of the press. This means that Prowler reporters are protected as the Supreme Court has ruled that “teachers nor students shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. However, we understand that it is our duty and our obligation to uphold the laws and ethics of journalism.
In California, the Newbury Park High School student publication, the Panther Prowler, is ensured the same rights and privileges as a professional publication as stated under California Ed Code 48907, which was passed in 1977. Ed Code 48907 protects student press unless the content in question is libelous, slanderous, obscene, disrupts school procedure and student learning or incites students to violate any laws or school rules.
The Panther Prowler is further protected under the principle of prior review, which states that administrators have the right to review all articles, photos and graphics before they are released, however, they cannot prevent any material from being published.
Regarding opinion and entertainment articles, there are also several important privileges and shields. The opinion privilege assures that opinions are protected from libel, as long as the difference between fact and journalist’s personal beliefs are clear. The fair comment and criticism protection allows journalists to criticize performers, politicians and matters of public interest.
As a result of this, we must emphasize that the Panther Prowler is a completely student-led publication, anything printed is a responsibility of the staff and the staff alone.
Our goal will always be to uphold the laws and ethics of journalism and to print what we know to be true. We look forward to informing the public on local and national politics, and keeping our student body informed on topics that we feel impact all of us.
