Free Press on Campus

All college media outlets are deemed to be "a public forum for expression by student journalists and editors," according to a recent bill passed by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D). The bill also forbids school administrators from exercising prior review, according to the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), even when the media is produced by the school.

The bill comes in response to the Hosty v. Carter case, in which the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2005 that "college-sponsored student publications that are not designated as public forums can be controlled by school administrators in the same way high school officials can control student media on their campuses," SPLC reports.
The law goes into effect in January 2008.

For more information, visit: http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1597