Journalism Law and Ethics Notes

1. What are the 5 freedoms of the 1st amendment?
-Freedom of speech
-Freedom of press
-Freedom of religion
-Freedom of assembly
-Freedom to petition

2. What is the Tinker Standard?

• Tinker vs. Des Moines school district (1969)- Supreme Court
• Black armbands in 1965
• The first court case in favor of students. When you come into school, you still have first amendment rights as long as it does not cause a huge disruption.

Student speech cannot be censored as long as it does not "materially disrupt class work or involve substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others."

3. What is the Frasier Standard?

• Bethel School District vs. Fraser (1986)
• Inappropriate speech for class president

Because school officials have an "interest in teaching students the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior," they can censor student speech that is vulgar or indecent, even if it does not cause a "material or substantial disruption."

4. What is the Hazelwood Standard?

• Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier (1988)
• Censor stories in student newspaper about teen pregnancy and divorce

Censorship of school-sponsored student expression is permissible when school officials can show that it is "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical (teaching) concerns."

5. What is the Frederick Standard?

• January 2002, Olympic torch travels through town
• Principal Morse cancels school
• Senior Fredrick unveils banner on the sidewalk across street which reads "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."
• Suspended for 10 days
• Since the students were on a class authorized field trip, the supreme court ruled in the school's favor.

6. What is the definition of libel?
Libel and slander: are legal terms for false statements of fact about a person that are printed, broadcast, spoken or otherwise communicated to others.

• Libel is printed
• Slander is spoken
• A defamatory statement (hurts someone's reputation)
• It's published to at least one other person
• It is a false statement