House Bill 1307 updates now to be found on WJEA Blog

I've written periodically in the last few weeks about House Bill 1307, a piece of legislation that would prohibit administrators in Washington state from censoring student media except in cases of unprotected, illegal speech.

And while it's something that I'm extremely passionate about, it's also something that doesn't really fit on this blog. So, from here on in, I'll be referring you over to Washington Journalism Education Association blog -- which I've started to maintain -- for further information on the bill.

You can find the blog at http://wjea.blogspot.com, and you can find all the posts specifically on the bill at this link.

Since I hadn't really updated anything on the bill in about a week, I wrote a new post last night to catch everyone up. You can find that specific post here.

UPDATE: HB 1307 makes it out of committee, off to Rules

About a week ago, I asked for your support of House Bill 1307, and I want to give you a brief update on the bill's progress.

We got a great piece of news Wednesday when the House Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 to send the bill to the next step in the process, which is the Rules Committee. This 24-member committee controls whether the bill eventually goes on to a vote on the House floor.

We still have a lot of work to do.

First off, the committee vote went right along party lines, with the seven Democrats voting for it, and the four Republicans voting against it. I'm mystified as to how free speech is a partisan issue -- both conservatives and liberals benefit from it -- but this is where we find ourselves. One of the keys to getting this bill passed will be generating some bipartisan support. (Here's at least one conservative who sees the value of free speech.)

Second, the half-hearted arguments of the organizations opposing the bill at the hearing will not be a portent of things to come. Each of these organizations have paid lobbyists working on their behalf who will be trying their darndest to kill this bill behind closed doors. We, on the other hand, have a grassroots campaign.

It will be doubly important that those of you who support this bill make your voice heard with your legislators -- especially if they are Republicans. Ask them to have the courage to support this bill, and let them know where you -- and your vote -- stand.

Lastly, this bill is generating a lot of passionate opinions on both sides. We anticipated opposition from those being stripped of their misguided power, but I can honestly say that I did not anticipate the lukewarm-to-outright-cold response we've received from the professional media, seen here:

• Walla Walla Union Bulletin
• The Seattle Times
• The Columbian

The flaw with their logic, of course, is that administration is not the owner or publisher of a student publication. And they also conveniently neglect to mention that six other states have similar laws, and students seem to be doing a fine job there making content decisions. Here is a copy of the text of a letter to the editor I sent to The Seattle Times. (And, by the way, not all professional media are opposed. The P-I's Associate Publisher Ken Bunting wrote this piece in favor of the bill, and also testified for the bill at the hearing.)

As a journalism educator at Emerald Ridge High School, I am shocked and dismayed by your total lack of effort to understand the complexities of the relationship between student journalists and the administrators they cover in your editorial, “Young journalists, meet your editors.”

And as a professional journalist who once worked for one of your competitors, I’m extremely disappointed by your apparent plan to undercut the development of our next generation of journalists.

The relationship of student journalist to administration is not one of writer to editor, as you suggest. That analogy works in a commercial environment, where each party’s goal is to work in the best interest of the publication and the readers it serves.

A better parallel in a school environment is one of journalist to government.

As state employees, administrators are the government in schools. They are the primary decision makers of that community, and they often are the subject of the stories these journalists write – not the case with professional editors. If the Seattle Times was doing an investigative story on potential misconduct by an editor, would that editor be allowed to review the content before it went to press? Absolutely not – it would ruin your credibility.

Student newspapers serve a watchdog role within their schools, and administrators who insist on taking an intimate role in the publication process not only cause major credibility issues for these journalists, but they create an inevitable chilling effect on the free flow of information.

Instead, administrators should concentrate on what has been proven to be the best educational course of action: Hiring or training up highly qualified advisers who teach student journalists how to make responsible journalistic decisions, then allowing students to put it into practice. It’s how my principal operates our school, and how my students have won numerous national journalism awards, including the NSPA Pacemaker award.

I fear for the future of a democracy where our own journalists are advocating for government to determine the content of our press.

As you can see, we have a work cut out for us. Please, actively support this bill!

UPDATE: Testimony from Judiciary Committee available online

Testimony on House Bill 1307, which I wrote about here, was heard Friday morning in the House Judiciary committee, and TVW has made audio of the testimony available online. Real Audio users can find audio of the testimony here, while Windows Media Player users can find it here. You also can download an MP3 of it here, or get it added as an iTunes podcast by clicking here. The hearing also reportedly will be broadcast on TVW Sunday night (time to be determined, but you can find the daily schedule here). UPDATE: It's showing tonight (late Sunday night/early Monday morning) at 1 a.m.

I was a part of that testimony, along with one of my students and numerous colleagues. It lasted about 90 minutes total, and those in support of the bill far outnumbered those against it. If you're finding yourself on the fence as to whether to support the bill with your legislators, please listen to at least some of the testimony from this emotional committee meeting.

Additionally, The News Tribune will be hosting a forum centered around this bill next Saturday, Feb. 3. You can click on the flier on the right for more information. It's free, and the information will be great!

Taking a break to stand up for a worthy cause: Student Press Rights

MANY OF YOU WHO READ this blog know me personally, and know what a passion I have for student journalism.

As the adviser of a high school newspaper, I'm incredibly excited about a bill that's going to go before the Washington state House Judiciary committee tomorrow morning, House Bill 1307. It's a measure that would protect student journalists (both high school and college) from censorship by their administrations except in instances of obscenity, libel or the threat of substantial disruption of normal school operations. It also would remove legal liability for the content from administrators (as long as they don't interfere with the content) and protect advisers who refuse to censor student work.

This bill is something that has needed to go on the books in Washington for a long time. There are many adults out there (including well-meaning administrators) who are afraid of teenagers who can think for themselves. But I'm here to tell you that it's under precisely those circumstances that kids do their best -- and most responsible -- work.

I see it everyday, teaching in an environment where kids work without the threat of adminstrative censorship. They produce a great publication, as you can see from the cover on the right.

If you're a resident of the state of Washington, I encourage you to check out the bill here. You can read the text of the bill here (it's a really short bill -- only like four pages), and read an analysis of the bill here (which will give you an even more brief overview of the bill).

If you count yourself a supporter of First Amendment rights and believe our democracy operates better when members of the media -- which high school journalists most certainly are, as the Supreme Court has affirmed -- get as little interference as possible from the government officials (school administrators) they cover, please consider taking the time to write your district's legislators in support of this bill.

It's simple to do! Find your legislator by visiting here, and typing in your address. Then click on the legislator's home page, and click on "e-mail" under the photo. Fill out the forms and click send -- it's that simple.

If you count yourself among those who aren't sure that high school students should have these kinds of freedoms, please visit this site, and click on the audio player for a simple, but eloquent, argument for this bill.

There is no reason to fear this bill -- six other states have similar legislation on their books (including California) and students aren't running around libeling everyone or publishing smut. (I promise.) The only thing we have to lose is the development of a better democracy made up of critically thinking citizens.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like me to clarify anything with the bill, you can contact me here. Thanks for taking the time to read.