Bill moving through Statehouse will help protect journalism students
INDIANAPOLIS Ind. (WISH) – A bill moving through the Statehouse will help protect student journalists their rights to cover real, hard hitting stories, despite direction from administrators. The bill will be heard in the education committee Tuesday.
Last semester Representative Ed Clere invited five college and five high School students to help craft the bill. It would give rights to a journalism student to cover stories that may stir the pot or cause controversy at their school. It’s all in an effort to avoid censorship from school administrators and to teach students responsible journalism.
In Carmel their journalism department is a model example.
“If people don’t learn to start doing that in high school then they’re never going to be able to do it later on,” said senior Selena Chen. “So having strong journalism programs is really important for that and having the freedom of press now prepares students to be responsible journalists now and not have all these problems with fake news.”
Again this bill allows school publications to be held to certain standards. As long as the story is not vulgar or disruptive to the school community, then the publication can cover it. It doesn’t mean that students can cover whatever they want, but it allows them to cover the tough stories. Indiana is not alone, other states around the country are passing similar bills.
Students are speaking to the education committee Tuesday around 8:30 a.m.