Bill > A4912

This bill establishes and protects the speech rights of student journalists in New Jersey's public schools and public institutions of higher education. It defines "school-sponsored media" as content prepared by a student journalist under the guidance of a "student media adviser" (an employee overseeing student publications) and distributed to the student body, excluding classroom-only materials. The bill grants student journalists the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press in this school-sponsored media, regardless of funding or class enrollment, making them responsible for content unless it is libelous, an invasion of privacy, violates law, or incites a clear and present danger of unlawful acts or substantial disruption. Public schools must adopt policies by the 2016-2017 school year to manage student expression, including reasonable time, place, and manner rules, and may limit profane, harassing, threatening, or intimidating language. Importantly, the bill prohibits prior restraint on school-sponsored media by school officials, who must justify any limitations, and prevents retaliation against school employees who protect students' rights or refuse to infringe upon them. The provisions for higher education mirror those for K-12 schools, ensuring similar protections for college student journalists.