Statement of Policy

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects students in their exercise of freedom of expression. Accordingly, school officials are responsible for ensuring freedom of expression for all students.

The Pirate Press, the official newsmagazine of Rocky River High School, is a forum for student expression and voices in the uninhibited, robust, free, and open discussion of issues. The publication should provide a full opportunity for students to inquire, question, and exchange ideas. Content may reflect all areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be dissent or controversy.

The Pirate Press is a tool in the learning process of journalism and operates as a laboratory situation. Any student may contribute to The Pirate Press, with or without enrollment in the class for credit.

Mistakes of fact made through this learning process will be acknowledged and corrected in a subsequent edition of The Pirate Press.

The articles appearing in The Pirate Press do not necessarily represent the opinions and views of the Rocky River High School staff or the Rocky River Board of Education.

Student journalists shall have the right to determine the content of official student publications. Accordingly, the following guidelines relate only to establishing grounds for disciplinary actions subsequent to publication.

Official School Publications

Responsibilities of Student Journalists: Students who work on official student publications determine the content of those publications and are responsible for that content. These students will:

1. Determine the content of the student publications;

2. Strive to produce a publication based upon professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and fair play;

3. Review material to improve sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation;

4. Check and verify all facts and verify the accuracy of all quotations;

5. In the case of editorials or letters to the editor concerning controversial issues, determine the need for rebuttal comments and opinions and provide space therefore if appropriate;

6. Not use anonymous sources unless the issue is sensitive enough that the sources need protection;

7. Not use the names of minors in stories regarding their being charged with a crime;

8. Use surveys when needed to help determine the awareness, interest level and the understanding of the student body. Efforts will be made to interview a broad selection of students in classes so that surveys reflect accurate results.

With this in mind, the adviser will act as a teacher and guide, but not as a censor. The student publication will remain student-run. The amount of interference from the adviser will be determined by the cohesiveness and capabilities of the current staff.

Prohibited Material

1. Students cannot publish or distribute material that is obscene as defined in Law of the Student Press. Profanity although allowed by the first amendment, will not appear in the publication unless needed for the story’s purpose.

2. Students cannot publish or distribute libelous material. Libelous statements are provably false and demonstrate injury to an individual’s or business’s reputation in the community.

3. Students cannot publish or distribute material that will cause “a material and substantial disruption of school activities” as defined in Law of the Student Press.

4. Students cannot publish or distribute material that is an invasion of privacy as defined in Law of the Student Press.

5. Students cannot publish or distribute material that is copyrighted unless permission has been obtained.

6. Students cannot publish or distribute material that is an expression intended and likely to incite imminent lawless action—such as instigating a riot.

7. Students cannot publish or distribute material that could be considered “fighting words”—personally abusive language addressed to a specific person likely to provoke a violent reaction.

8. Students cannot publish or distribute advertisements that are deceptive or misleading or those for products or services illegal for minors.

9. Even though it is unlikely in a school setting, students cannot publish or distribute material that presents clear and immediate threats to national security.

Allowed Material

Legally,

1. Students may publish or distribute material that is controversial, takes extreme or minority opinions, or is distasteful, unpopular, or unpleasant.

2. Students may publish or distribute material that relates to sexual issues.

3. Students may publish or distribute material that criticizes the policies, practices, or performance of teachers, school officials, the school itself, or any public officials.

4. Students may accept advertisements as long as it doesn’t enter into any of the areas of unprotected speech.

5. Students may publish or distribute material written by non-students.

6. Students may endorse candidates for student offices or for public office at any level.

Obviously, however, students must be taught and practice the utmost of journalistic ethics and standards when dealing with these issues.

Commercial Speech

Advertising is a constitutionally protected expression. School publications may accept advertising, but the newsmagazine staff has the right to reject, edit, or cancel any advertisement at any time. Advertising shall be free of statements, illustrations, or implications that are offensive to good taste or public decency based on the opinion of the editorial board. Acceptance or rejection of advertising is the decision of the editorial board. The staff will not accept advertising for products or groups that are racist, sexist, or illegal for high school students (such as cigarettes and liquor), or violate other standards of journalistic principles.

Letters to the Editor

The Pirate Press, following the principles of the concept of forum for student expression, will accept Letters to the Editor and other suggestions from any reader, inside or outside the school. In keeping with this concept of a forum for student expression, The Pirate Press will publish Letters to the Editor, provided they are 300 words or less and contain the author’s name and grade or phone number because the staff will confirm all letters. Letters and columns will not be returned. Letters should not include profanity and may be returned for rewriting and re-submission.

We reserve the right to withhold a letter or return it for more complete information if we determine it contains any of the areas of unprotected speech.

We also reserve the right to withhold a letter due to space limitation or excessive letters on the same topic.

The Pirate Press reserves the right to respond with editorial responses as the editor and editorial board see fit. These responses will be printed after the letter in a different type.

Letters will be edited for spelling and grammar. Should a letter contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors, or be too long, it will be returned to the author for later submission.

Deadlines for letters will be three weeks prior to each publication date.



Obituaries

In the event of a student or high school employee death during the school year, one-third of one column will be reserved on the opinion page for a photo of the deceased and a student-written obituary, providing the family cooperates and wants the obituary to run. If further space is desired, the person interested in submitting material must purchase space in the advertising section at a reduced rate. It is also possible that stories about the circumstances of the death may be run in other sections of the paper as deemed appropriate.

Legal Questions

In case questions arise over specific copy as defined within these guidelines, the advice of practicing communications attorney would be sought. The services of the Student Press Law Center (202 466-5242) are recommended.

Photo Manipulation

Any change to a photo that alters the contents done in such a program, such as Photoshop, will be labeled as a photo illustration.

Accuracy

All of the pieces represented in The Pirate Press are written by The Pirate Press staffers or reviewed by the staff. All pieces are checked for accuracy, responsibility, obscenity and potential libel. All news, feature and sports stories have a three-source minimum (unless the nature of the story suggests otherwise) in order to provide well-researched data and to ensure a balanced approach.

Should the need for a formal correction arise, The Pirate Press will promptly act accordingly (by the next published issue after the realization of the error). Consideration will be given to the placement and print of the correction with regard to the placement and print of the error. The responsibility for said correction lies with the editor-in-chief and is subject to review by the editorial board.

Quotes will be checked. Punishment for inaccuracy, shoddy reporting, or willful misrepresentation of facts will be levied at the staffers charged with the story in the form of reduced grades, forced apologies or removal from the staff. The adviser will be charged with disciplining the student with input from the editorial board.

Staff Selection

All candidates for positions beyond reporter will be determined by the adviser and editor-in-chief.

Bylines

All full-length news, sports, or feature stories, as well as, art, graphic devices, charts and photos published in The Pirate Press will be given bylines or credit lines. The byline or credit line will contain the author’s, artist’s, or photographer’s name. Opinion columns and reviews will be given bylines as well to indicate that the said opinion piece represents an individual’s opinion. Staff editorials will not be signed as they reflect the view of the publication staff.

Circulation

These guidelines will be included in the first issue of The Pirate Press and circulated annually, free of charge to all students.



This policy was adopted by the 2008-2009 Pirate Press staff at Rocky River High School.