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Show CttRONicU Paqe Six :'! A -- r Court ruling cripples freedom J , The Supreme Court provided high school students with a valid lesson in journalism yesterday. In a landmark decision, the Court ruled that school officials have the right to censor the journalistic endeavors of their students. At first glance, the Court ruling seems to constitute blanket disregard for the First Amendment rights of student journalists. However, the rationale behind the Hazelwood case tells a different story. In its 3 decision, the Court determined that school officials are in fact publishers of newspapers which receive school funds. By defining the role of school officials in this manner, the Court carefully sidestepped First Amendment issues. Free press rights are no longer relevant because school publishers, like commercial publishers, have absolute authority over the publications they own. In effect, the Court taught journalism students that although the Constitution allows individuals; to write whatever they wish, it does not guarantee that their works will be published wherever they please. As columnist Joanne Jacobs wrote in the Salt Lake Tribune last October, this is a clear-cu- t, justifiable lesson in journalistic reality. "The First Amendment guarantees the right to free expression, but doesn't provide a platform or a printing press, or even a discount at the copy shop on the corner," she wrote. "If student journalists lose the Hazelwood case, they will learn a hard lesson, but limit of their not a wrong one, about the constitutional rights." In isolation, the validity of this "lesson" can't be argued. "However, the Supreme Court made a mistake in choosing to teach students capitalistic realities at the expense of lessons on the importance of free expression. Even anarchy in student newspapers would be better than the tragedy of denying free speech to young individuals. The most important lesson student journalists can learn is the ability to make decisions for themselves based on a traditional system of journalistic ethics. By deciding what news is appropriate and inappropriate real-wor- ld 5-- real-wor- ld . for print, students develop values which will help them become thinking members of society. The Supreme Court's Hazelwood decision robbed students of this learning process. And in place of that valuable developmental tool, the Court provided truth: The definition students with an the money to pay with men of "news" belongs to the the printer. Of course, this is a truth which members of the Chronicle staff have known for some time. By creating a Publications Council, the University of Utah administration divorced itself from unconstitutional interference with the Chronicle while also assuring its influence over the paper. Pub Council guidelines discourage editorial control and promote the right of editors to determine the paper's content. But they also make it responsible for ensuring that U. publications give a "reasonably fair and balanced presentation of conflicting viewpoints, and attitudes." t interpretations .If this responsibility is interpreted liberally, Pub Council members could use it as a means for subtle censorship. For instance, a leftist Pub Council could violate the freedom of a rightist Chronicle staff by suggesting its conservative editorial stances were unbalanced. These types of conflicts are rare. Pub Council members never view the Chronicle before publication and rarely reprimand editors after the fact. However, the Hazelwood decision could drastically alter ChroniclePub Council relations. The Supreme Court's disdain for prior restraint played a key role in curbing Pub Council control of editorial policy. Pub Council Chair Roy Gibson has said in the past that Council members could never prevent the publication of an article because such action would be unconstitutional. Hazelwood puts that unconstitutionality in question. If the Supreme Court's decision to abandon high school journalists extends to public colleges, Pub Council won't need to worry about stepping on the Chronicle's First Amendment rights. ant Instead, it can act like any regular commercial publisher would. It can determine the paper's ideology, examine articles before publication and fire student editors based on their willingness to comply editorial tone. to a In spite of Hazelwood's implications, the current Chronicle staff believes its rights will be protected. This is because most members of this year's Pub Council seem committed to open discussion and journalistic freedom. The future, however, seems frightening because the system for selecting Pub Council members doesn't guarantee an enlightened attitude from year to year. In fact, the opposite is usually true. The majority of Pub Council members are chosen by incoming and outgoing ASUU presidents. And because the Chronicle is traditionally critical of Pub Council student government, ASUU-appointmembers often enter their positions with animosity toward the paper. Moreover, there is no guarantee that Pub Council members have experience in journalism, or ' ' appreciation of diversity. Without the Supreme Court's backing, future Chronicle editors may have no protection against the whims of a hostile Pub Council. But members of the Institutional Council and the current Pub Council can diminish the impact the Hazelwood case has on U. publications. By clarifying guidelines preventing editorial interference and altering the process of Pub Council selection, they can guarantee the Chronicle's autonomy. The Supreme Court has decided that lessons in material reality are more important to student journalists than lessons in diversity and editorial responsibility. But the U. isn't obligated to uphold that decision. Instead of tossing aside the Hazelwood case as a high school issue, Pub Council members and other U. officials should take concrete steps in preventing even the possibility of censorship on this campus. - Shauna Bona, a senior English major, is editor in chief of the Chronicle. ed ed There's no sale like a PRE-OPEE- A LECTURE K-- unrelated Editor: sale. Lecture on La Boheme entitled: KUER UTE Regarding your story of Monday, Jan. 11, about radio, I would just like to correct one bit of misinformation. did not "slowly evolve into The original KUER" as stated. KUER went on the air in June of I960, several years prior to the inception of K "UTE". While KUER welocmes K "UTE" to the University of Utah, the two stations are not now, nor ever have been, connected. Thank you for allowing us to clarify this. E" E" La Boheme: Drama of a Youthful Dream and Poetic Illusion - Karen Tallerico Marketing Director KUER delivered again this season by Professor Herbert Josephs of Michigan State University 30 to 50 off 6) the Winter .S Collection. A Benetton sale is unique because the entire winter collection is on sale, not just a few items. Enjoy the United Colors of Benetton at a huge savings. University of Utah Fine Art Auditorium Tuesday, January 19 7:30 pm $3.00 donation at the door. 1 1 FRIDAY NOON DEVOTIONAL Reed Benson United Fashions Of Benetton President Benson's son Central Institute Chapel SUNDAY- (ThntVi -8 p;m. LDSSA FIRESIDE Mem At the Crossroads Plaza and University MalL Darlene Curtis Central Institute Chapel Sale ends January 23 rd. Inteeurt disease m sfiroke esura you REGISTER FOR I IMP U I c OLASbfcS 1 Anniversary yft STILL TIME TO If flh besft years ff heolf yyir Dive |
