AB 551

This bill affords certain rights and protections to student journalists who are

public school pupils or students enrolled in a University of Wisconsin System

institution or technical college.

Public school pupils

Under the bill, a public school pupil journalist in grade 6 to 12 has the right to

exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media regardless of

whether the school-sponsored media is supported financially by a public school, uses

the facilities of the public school, or is produced in conjunction with a class in which

the pupil is enrolled. The bill further establishes that a pupil journalist is responsible

for determining the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of

school-sponsored media and prohibits a school official from exercising prior

restraint of materials prepared for school-sponsored media. Under the bill, neither

a pupil journalist nor a media adviser may be disciplined for acting in accordance

with the bill. Finally, the bill requires each school board and operator of a charter

school to adopt a policy related to pupil journalists exercising their freedom of speech

and of the press in school-sponsored media and specifies that the policy must include

an appeal process for pupils. Under the bill, a pupil journalist and a media adviser

may bring an action in circuit court to enforce the rights established under the bill.

UW System and technical college students

Under the bill, a student journalist enrolled in a UW System institution or

technical college (hereafter, “school”) has the right to exercise freedom of speech and

of the press in school-sponsored media regardless of whether the school-sponsored

media is supported financially by the school, uses the facilities of the school, or is

produced in conjunction with a course in which the student is enrolled. The bill

further establishes that a student journalist is responsible for determining the news,

opinion, feature, and advertising content of school-sponsored media and prohibits

the school from exercising prior restraint of materials prepared for school-sponsored

media. Under the bill, neither a student journalist nor a media adviser may be

disciplined for acting in accordance with the bill. Finally, the bill requires the Board

of Regents of the UW System and each technical college district board to adopt a

policy related to student journalists exercising their freedom of speech and the press

in school-sponsored media and specifies that the policy must include an appeal

process for students. Under the bill, a student journalist and a media adviser may

bring an action in circuit court to enforce the rights established under the bill.