Censorship of School Papers on Rise

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 ruling expanding the power of principals to censor school publications has turned many student newspapers into public relations tools, a study says.

Barbara Goffman, who studied the high school press for her honors thesis in communications at the University of Michigan, said there has been a noticeable deterioration of the independence and vigor of student newspapers since the ruling.

Goffman surveyed 250 Michigan school newspaper editors and faculty advisers to determine how much high school journalists recognize and practice press freedom.

She said half of the student editors she surveyed reported experiencing censorship. In most cases, the censored stories were true but dealt with controversial subjects, she said.

She also found that 14% of faculty advisers and 25% of student editors said their paper’s primary function was to serve as a public relations vehicle for the school.