Students edit Viewpoints, Riverside City College's award-winning student newspaper.
Awards
May 7, 2007
Riverside City College’s Viewpoints has been selected as the top student newspaper in the Inland Empire by the Society of Professional Journalists.
The Southern California Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony, in Riverside on May 5, recognized stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and television newscasts from RCC, UC Riverside, the University of La Verne, Cal Poly Pomona and Victor Valley College. Professional newspapers were also honored.
Riverside City College’s student journalists took home the most first place awards with six, including student newspaper of the year, unseating the University of La Verne’s Campus Times.
Former Viewpoints writer William Clarke won first place for “Family mourns death of student,” a 1,752-word Viewpoints feature story about the life and death of RCC student Reyna De Leon.
Viewpoints graphic artist Joshua Duran won first place for the Viewpoints page design “Shock Coffee,” second place for a Nov. 30 page design about the movie “The Fountain” and second place for the column “A brave new world.”
Viewpoints opinions editor Desiree Perez won first place for her Viewpoints editorial “Welcome to Hell.” She also received the Ray Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
“You can change the world with words,” Perez said in her scholarship application. “That, simply, is what I want to do. It may sound naive and idealistic, but I want to uncover corruption, scandal, bigotry and ignorance. I want to go where the news is. Send me to Iraq, Iran and Darfur. Send me to Washington D.C. I want to see things that will shock me, because I want to expose the public to hidden or bitter realities in order to spur action.”
Earning the Dave Harrison Memorial Scholarship is Viewpoints managing editor Daniel Segraves, a Yucaipa High School graduate.
“To be a journalist is like being a soldier of truth; you go wherever you need to and do whatever it takes to serve the public,” Segraves said in his scholarship application. “Fame, money and everything you had thought you’d strive for becomes a secondary thought ... journalism is the last bastion of relief in a time full of misinformation and social disorder. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing more important than the honor of preserving the truth and delivering it to a pubic need.”
Viewpoints photographer and advertising manager Chris Dietrich won first place for Viewpoints’ May 11, 2006 front page photo “Campus Controversy” about protests at RCC.
Former Viewpoints writer Kevin Casteneda won second place for his Viewpoints sports story “There’s still time.”
Students with RCC’s television newscast won all of the awards for TV news stories.
Former Inland Valley News anchor Troy Clarke won first place for “U.S.-Iranian Relations” and second place for “Synthetic Diesel.”
Former Inland Valley News anchor Amia Tadjalli won third place for “Giving Back.”
Viewpoints and Inland Valley News adviser Allan Lovelace said he is happy for his students.
“I said last year that RCC students had their best showing yet, but this year they surpassed even that,” Lovelace said.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Students win print, online, TV awards
March 28, 2007
Seven newspaper and television students from Riverside City College won awards and a scholarship at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ annual convention.
The event, in Sacramento from March 22-24, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards presentation for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and newscasts during the spring and fall 2006 semesters.
Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering live events at the convention. Students with the college’s newspaper, Viewpoints, and television newscast, Inland Valley News, won the awards.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Tim Guy, a Rancho Verde High graduate, won an Editors Honor Roll Award.
Viewpoints graphic artist and production manager Joshua Duran, a North High alumnus, won third place for a page design about coffee and honorable mention for an on-the-spot page design.
Viewpoints photographer Chris Dietrich won fourth place for a Viewpoints Online photo about a protest at the college.
Viewpoints photo editor Chris Ullyott won an honorable mention for another Viewpoints Online photo about the protest.
Viewpoints opinions editor Desiree Perez, a Centennial High graduate, received the $750 Warren Mack scholarship.
Former Inland Valley News anchor Troy Clarke won general excellence for a story about synthetic fuels.
Former Inland Valley News reporter Tim Fowler won general excellence for a story about efforts to help the homeless.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Journalism students win 16 JACC awards
Nine newspaper and television students from Riverside City College won 16 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ Southern California conference.
The event, at CSU Fullerton on Nov. 4, featured workshops by professional journalists and awards ceremonies for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters.
Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering live events at the conference.
Students with the college’s newspaper, Viewpoints, and television newscast, Inland Valley News, won the awards.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the newspaper’s April 27, May 11 and May 25 issues. The award is given to newspapers in California and Arizona that excel in the categories of writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Joshua Duran, a North High alumnus, won an Editors Honor Roll Award; first place for an informational graphic about the history of abortion laws in California; and honorable mentions for a front page design, two photo illustrations, and an on-the-spot page design.
Inland Valley News producer J Baker won second place for a story that aired on the weekly television newscast.
Former Viewpoints photographer Mike Lewis won third place for a sports action photo and an honorable mention for a sports feature photo of the women’s water polo team celebrating its victory over No. 2 ranked Fullerton.
Former Inland Valley News student Matt Roberts won third place for a story that aired on the television newscast.
Viewpoints technology editor Ben Kwiecien won fourth place for a column about the so-called “Truth Defenders” event at RCC that denounced Islam.
Viewpoints photo editor Chris Dietrich received honorable mentions for a Viewpoints Online photo and two photo illustrations.
Former Viewpoints writer Jonathan Kroncke received an honorable mention for a critical review.
Former Viewpoints writer Kevin Castaneda received an honorable mention for a sports feature story about the men’s soccer team.
Inland Valley News student Buddy Hutton won an honorable mention for a story about the Orange Blossom Festival.
Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace said he is proud of his students’ phenomenal success.
“My students deserve nothing but the best,” he said, noting that they have also won two national Pacemakers and many other important awards the last two years.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487
Viewpoints, Inland Valley News students win 16 SPJ awards
May 15, 2006
Newspaper and television students from Riverside City College won 16 awards – their highest total to date -- in the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Student Journalism contest.
The awards ceremony, in Riverside on May 13, recognized stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and television newscasts from RCC, UC Riverside, the University of La Verne, Cal Baptist, Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA. Professional newspapers were also honored.
Viewpoints received third place overall in the Best Newspaper contest.
Former Viewpoints photographer Mike Lewis won first, second and third place awards for news, sports and feature photos.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Joshua Duran won first and second place awards and an honorable mention for page designs.
Former Viewpoints artist Liston Morris won first and second place awards for cartoons.
Former Viewpoints writer Erin Tobin won third place for an editorial about student apathy.
Former Viewpoints news editor Vanessa Overbeck won third place for a sports story.
Inland Valley News field producer Marina Kochan won first place for her television news story “Stem Cells.”
Inland Valley News anchor Diana Thornhill won second place for her television news story “Baby Friendly.”
Inland Valley News producer J Baker won third place for her television news story “Go Red” and another third place award for her television feature story “Fant-a-Shes.”
Former Inland Valley News reporter Sarah Haney won third place for a television feature story.
“This is by far our best showing yet,” said Allan Lovelace, Viewpoints and Inland Valley News adviser. “It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to network with our graduates who were there to accept awards, too."
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win 15 JACC awards
April 1, 2006
Riverside City College’s newspaper students won 15 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ annual convention.
The event, in Los Angeles from March 30-April 1, featured workshops by professional journalists and awards ceremonies for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the spring and fall 2005 semesters. Students also brought photos and designs to enter and competed in on-the-spot contests by covering live events at the convention.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the newspaper’s April 28, May 12 and May 26 issues. The award is given to newspapers in California and Arizona that excel in the categories of writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Joshua Duran, a North High alumnus, won an Editors Honor Roll Award, second place for a bring in informational graphic, third place for a bring in photo illustration, and honorable mentions for an inside page design in Viewpoints, an advertisement in Viewpoints, a bring in advertisement and a bring in photo illustration.
Former Viewpoints editor-in-chief Tim Guy won second place for on-the-spot headline writing, second place for an informational graphic, third place for a bring in photo illustration, an honorable mention for a bring in advertisement and an Extra Mile Award for his volunteer work with the journalism association.
Former Viewpoints photo editor Mike Lewis won fourth place for a sports action photo and an honorable mention for a sports feature photo.
“It was a treat to see our students win so many awards and to attend a workshop on sports writing given by former Viewpoints sports editor Kevin Pearson, who is now a full-time staff writer at The Press-Enterprise,” said Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins second national ACP Pacemaker Award
Oct. 30, 2005
For the second consecutive year, Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has been selected as one of the best college newspapers in the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press made the announcement yesterday when it released the results of its national Pacemaker competition. The Pacemaker Award, often described as the “Pulitzer Prize” of collegiate journalism, is the highest national award a student newspaper can receive for one year of work.
Viewpoints students were notified in September that the newspaper was a Pacemaker finalist. Then, they found out Oct. 29 that they had won their second Pacemaker Award.
Twenty five student newspapers received the Pacemaker this year. Two other community college newspapers from California, from Southwestern College and Contra Costa College, also received the Pacemaker.
Journalists from professional newspapers select collegiate Pacemaker winners based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
The Viewpoints student staff entered complete newspapers from the spring 2005 semester, including its March 24, April 28 and May 26 issues.
Tim Guy, Viewpoints’ editor-in-chief, said he appreciates the recognition from professional journalists.
“To win this award once is great, but twice in two years is something that is very special," he said. "To be recognized for this makes all of the hard work and extra hours put in by the staff extremely worthwhile.”
Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace said the students’ commitment to public service results in an award-winning newspaper.
“When students want to produce a newspaper that has an impact, the work they do ends up being recognized for its excellence with awards,” Lovelace said.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints and Inland Valley News students win 19 JACC awards
Oct. 30, 2005
Riverside Community College students won 19 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges Southern California fall conference.
The conference, at CSU Fullerton from Oct. 28-29, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2004 and spring 2005 semesters. Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering events at the university during the conference.
Viewpoints design editor Joshua Duran won first place for an inside page design, first place for an on-the-spot front page design and third place for an advertisement.
Viewpoints photographer Christopher Ullyott won first place for a bring in photo.
Former Viewpoints writer Amber Richard won first place for a Viewpoints editorial about the status of day care services at RCC.
Former Viewpoints news editor Vanessa Overbeck won third place for investigative news stories and third place for column writing.
Former Viewpoints writer Michael Diggin won third place for investigative news stories.
Inland Valley News producer J Baker won third place for an Inland Valley News broadcast news story.
Former Viewpoints artist Alexander Lopez won fourth place for an advertisement.
Former Viewpoints writer Stephen Barnett received an honorable mention for a depth news series of stories.
Inland Valley News student Roya Iravani received an honorable mention for an Inland Valley News broadcast news story.
Viewpoints photographer Mike Lewis received an honorable mention for a feature photo of Halloween Town at RCC, honorable mention for an on-the-spot news photo and an honorable mention for a front page design.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Timothy Guy received an honorable mention for a front page design and an editor recognition award.
Viewpoints photo editor Ashley Keller received an honorable mention for a front page design.
Former Viewpoints photographer Monica Cadena received an honorable mention for a feature photo.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins national ACP Pacemaker Finalist Award
Sept. 29, 2005
For the third time in the last eight years, Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has been selected as one of the best college newspapers in the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press made the announcement today when it released the results of its national Pacemaker Finalist competition. The Pacemaker Award, often described as the “Pulitzer Prize” of collegiate journalism, is the highest national award a student newspaper can receive for one year of work.
Fifty-eight university and college newspapers received the Pacemaker Finalist Award this year for issues published during the fall 2004-spring 2005 academic year. Other finalists included student newspapers from Harvard and Northwestern universities. Five other community college newspapers from California also were named as finalists.
Journalists from professional newspapers select collegiate Pacemaker winners based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
The Viewpoints student staff entered complete newspapers from spring 2005 semester, including its March 24, April 28 and May 26 issues. The newspapers, ranging from 24 to 32 pages, included such headlines as “Professor caught up in scandal,” “Worldwide protest hits home” and “Discrimination pervades RCC.”
Tim Guy, Viewpoints’ editor-in-chief, said he is honored that Viewpoints has been named a Pacemaker Finalist again.
"To be a finalist among some of the best colleges in the United States is a great accomplishment for us,” Guy said. “To be recognized two years in a row is something truly special and amazing.”
Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace noted that students improve the newspaper every year.
“It is nice when our students are recognized for their hard work, talent and commitment to public service,” Lovelace said. “The Pacemaker Finalist Award this year follows last year’s Pacemaker and 1998’s Pacemaker Finalist Award, so this year’s honor demonstrates that students build on previous success.”
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins Los Angeles Times Overall Excellence award
May 26, 2005
Viewpoints students won third place May 26 in the Los Angeles Times College Newspaper Overall Excellence competition.
The awards ceremony, at the Los Angeles Times building, recognized student newspapers from the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside.
Times editors, reporters, photographers and designers judged the newspapers for writing, depth and variety of coverage, editing, editorial pages, photography, cartoons, graphics, sports coverage, advertising and design.
Viewpoints entered its Oct. 21, March 10 and March 24 issues in the contest.
Cash prizes were awarded for first, second and third places. Viewpoints received a check for $1,000 to go with its third-place award.
Viewpoints Adviser Allan Lovelace said he is happy to see the newspaper win Los Angeles Times awards three years in a row.
“It is especially nice to get awards when the students do not try to win,” he said. “I am so happy for them, especially Viewpoints’ editor-in-chief, Timothy Guy. This is the finest bunch of students serving with Viewpoints in the nine years I have been an adviser here."
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints and Inland Valley News students win 10 Society of Professional Journalists awards
May 14, 2005
Viewpoints adviser Dan Evans (left), newspaper and television students David Cox, Alex Perkic, J Baker, Justin Alsman, Michael Diggin, Tim Guy, Vanessa Overbeck, and Viewpoints and Inland Valley News adviser Allan Lovelace at the Society of Professional Journalists Inland Chapter awards ceremony in Ontario on May 14.
Newspaper and television students from Riverside Community College won 10 awards in the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Student Journalism contest.
The awards ceremony, in Ontario on May 14, recognized stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and television newscasts from RCC, UC Riverside, the University of La Verne and Cal Poly Pomona.
More students from RCC won awards than from any other college or university.
Viewpoints received second place overall in the Best Newspaper contest.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Timothy Guy won first and third place awards for page designs. He also received the SPJ scholarship.
"Everyone at Viewpoints works very hard to produce a good newspaper and these awards mean a lot to every person on the staff," Guy said. "It is great to see our hard work pay off."
Viewpoints managing editor David Cox won first place for his page design “Van Helsing.”
Former Viewpoints writer Amber Richard won first place for her editorial “RCC neglects student mothers.”
Inland Valley News producer J Baker won first place for her television news story “Prop 69.”
Viewpoints page editor Michael Diggin won second place for his feature story “What lies beneath,” about passageways under the Mission Inn.
Former Viewpoints sports editor Justin Alsman won second place for his sports story “RCC announcer is Daddy Cool.”
Viewpoints news editor Vanessa Overbeck won third place for her editorial “Politicians Beware.”
Inland Valley News anchor Alex Perkic won third place for his television news story “Prop 66.”
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints and Inland Valley News students win 10 JACC awards
April 9, 2005
Students with Riverside Community College’s Journalism and Telecommunications programs won 10 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ annual convention.
The event, in Sacramento from April 7-9, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and TV newscasts during the spring and fall 2004 semesters. Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering live events during the convention.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the 52-page March 11, 2004, May 27 and Nov. 4 issues. The award is given to newspapers in California and Arizona that excel in the categories of writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this staff,” said Viewpoints editor-in-chief Tim Guy. “They have not only served the community in a big way but also represented Riverside Community College very well.”
Viewpoints graphic artist Joshua Duran, a North High alumnus, and Viewpoints production manager Mike Lewis each won first place awards for a bring-in photo illustration of a bicyclist passing by a gasoline station’s sign showing the fuel cost as an “arm,” “leg” and “kid.”
Viewpoints news editor Vanessa Overbeck won second place for columns about flag burning, Propositions 68 and 70 and Title IX’s impact on women coaches. She also won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot sports story.
Inland Valley News anchor Alex Perkic won third place for a story about the “three strikes” law.
Viewpoints assistant news editor Daniel Flores-Guadiana won fourth place for a Dec. 2 investigative news story about expired elevator permits at RCC.
Viewpoints writer Johnathan Kroncke won an honorable mention for a critical review about the movie “The Incredibles.”
Guy, a Rancho Verde alumnus, won an editor honor roll award.
Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace received an “Extra Mile Award” for his volunteer work with the journalism association.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints' Pacemaker Award for 2004.
Viewpoints students and faculty advisers with the Pacemaker Award in the newspaper's newsroom.
Viewpoints wins national Pacemaker Award
Nov. 7, 2004
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has been selected as one of the best newspapers in the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press made the announcement today when it released the results of its national Pacemaker Award competition. The Pacemaker Award, often described as the “Pulitzer Prize” of collegiate journalism, is the highest national award a student newspaper can receive for one year of work.
Twenty-five university and community college newspapers received the Pacemaker Award this year for issues published during the fall 2003-spring 2004 academic year. Other winners included student newspapers from Harvard and Northwestern universities. Only one other community college newspaper, Contra Costa’s Advocate, won from California.
Journalists from professional newspapers select collegiate Pacemaker winners based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
The Viewpoints student staff entered complete newspapers from the fall 2003 and spring 2004 semesters, including the 44-page Sept. 25, 2003 issue, which included the front-page stories “Elevator permits expired” and “Hearing postponed in former RCC dean criminal case.” Viewpoints students also entered their Oct. 23, 2003 issue with the headline “Riverside activists greet president,” about anti-war protestors, including several RCC students, outside President Bush's $2,000-a-plate Republican fundraiser at the Riverside Convention Center.
James Seals, Viewpoints’ fall 2003 editor-in-chief, said the Pacemaker Award recognizes Viewpoints students’ efforts to provide the best newspaper they could produce.
“We did our jobs,” Seals said.
Tim Guy, Viewpoints’ editor-in-chief, who was the newspaper’s managing editor during the spring 2004 semester, said the award is the result of a team effort.
“This recognition is very special for us,” Guy said. “It validates the hard work that each staff member puts into the newspaper to serve the RCC community. It also shows that the teamwork that this staff has is truly amazing.”
Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace said the students do not work to win awards.
“I am especially happy for our students winning this highest of all awards because they have their priorities straight,” Lovelace said. “They want to have fun, get media experience and make a difference through public service. They win awards without that being a priority.”
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints and Inland Valley News students win 21 awards
Oct. 17, 2004
Riverside Community College students won 21 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ Southern California fall conference.
The conference, at CSU Fullerton from Oct. 15-16, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2003 and spring 2004 semesters. Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering events at the university during the conference.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the April 8, April 29 and May 13 issues. The award is given to newspapers in Southern California and Arizona that excel in the categories of writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
Former Viewpoints editor-in-chief James Seals, a La Sierra High graduate, won first place for a bring-in advertisement about voter registration for college students.
Inland Valley News student Jay Baker won first place for a television news story about RCC’s Passport to College program.
Inland Valley News student Julie Estrada won first place for a television news story.
Inland Valley News student Dominic Durden won second place for a television news story about firefighters.
Viewpoints writer Anthony Guillen won fourth place for an investigative story about the removal of fliers at RCC by Student Activities staff. He also won fourth place for an on-the-spot news story.
Viewpoints writer Michael Fortier won fourth place for an investigative story. He also won an honorable mention for an investigative story about expired elevator permits at RCC and an honorable mention for an on-the-spot news story.
Viewpoints arts and entertainment editor Erin Tobin won fourth place for an on-the-spot editorial and an honorable mention for an on-the-spot critical review about a surfing documentary.
Former Viewpoints writers Amy Carillo and Christina Beardsley won honorable mentions for investigative stories.
Former Viewpoints editor-in-chief Lark Winner won an honorable mention for column writing.
Viewpoints editor-in-chief Tim Guy won an editor honor roll award.
Viewpoints managing editor Mike Lewis won honorable mentions for a sports action photo of skateboarder Rhio Greigo and for an on-the-spot feature photo.
Viewpoints features editor Janelle Burmaster won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot feature photo.
Viewpoints graphic artist Jason Haniuk, a North High graduate, won an honorable mention for an editorial cartoon about enrollment fee increases.
The Viewpoints student staff won an honorable mention for front page designs of the Sept. 25, Oct. 23 and April 8 issues.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints selected as one of the best newspapers in the nation
Sept. 15, 2004
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has been selected as one of the best community college newspapers in the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press made the announcement today when it released the results of its national Pacemaker Finalist Award competition. Ten community college newspapers received the Pacemaker Finalist Award this year for issues published during the fall 2003-spring 2004 academic year.
The Pacemaker Award is the highest national award a student newspaper can receive for one year of work.
Journalists from professional newspapers select collegiate Pacemaker Finalists based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
Viewpoints entered complete newspapers from the fall 2003 and spring 2004 semesters, including its 44-page Sept. 25 issue. It included the front-page stories "Elevator permits expired" and "Hearing postponed in former RCC dean criminal case."
The Pacemaker Finalist Award is the third high honor earned by Viewpoints this year.
In May, Viewpoints won second place in the Los Angeles Times College Newspaper Overall Excellence competition.
In March, Viewpoints received the Associated Collegiate Press College Newspaper of the Year award, second place in the nation for community colleges.
"The students’ commitment to making a difference through public service resulted in an award-winning newspaper," said Allan Lovelace, Viewpoints' faculty adviser. "I am so happy that their hard work and dedication were recognized.”
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win 10 Society of Professional Journalists awards
May 22, 2004
Viewpoints students won 10 awards today in the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Student Journalism contest.
The awards ceremony recognized stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers from RCC, California Baptist University, the University of La Verne and Victor Valley College.
Viewpoints received second place in the Best Newspaper contest for the first two fall semester issues of the newspaper.
"Viewpoints students doubled their total for Society of Professional Journalists awards this year," said Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace. “It has been a storybook year with so many regional, state and national awards from various prestigious organizations.”
Viewpoints graphic artist Jason Haniuk won one of two sweepstakes awards for getting the most award points among all of the students. He also won first, second and third place awards for page designs.
Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief Lark Winner won first and third place honors for Oct. 23 front-page photos of RCC students protesting against the war in Iraq.
Former Viewpoints writer Mary Shelton won first place for "TGI Firings," an editorial about the college's firing of several instructors, including Chip Stearns, who was recently rehired after a lengthy and costly legal battle.
Viewpoints photographer Angela Schleuniger won first place for a sports photo.
Former Viewpoints photographer Sabrina de los Reyes won third place for a page design.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win Los Angeles Times award
May 20, 2004
Viewpoints students won second place today in the Los Angeles Times College Newspaper Overall Excellence competition.
The awards ceremony, at the Los Angeles Times building, recognized student newspapers from the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside.
Times editors, reporters, photographers and designers judged the newspapers for writing, depth and variety of coverage, editing, editorial pages, photography, cartoons, graphics, sports coverage, advertising and design.
Viewpoints entered the Sept. 25 and April 8 issues in the contest. These issues included the stories “Elevator permits expired” and “Rotella chases top job.”
Cash prizes were awarded for first, second and third places. Viewpoints received a check for $1,500 to go with its second place award.
Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief Lark Winner said the award is the result of a team effort to improve the newspaper.
"The whole staff put in a lot of work to put out the best quality issues possible, and it's just great to see all of us get rewarded for our efforts," she said.
Viewpoints Adviser Allan Lovelace said he is pleased to see the newspaper improve on the honorable mention it earned in the contest last year.
"Viewpoints students are always striving to serve the public better," he said. “It is especially nice to win awards when getting honors isn’t the students’ goal.”
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
RCC students win 10 JACC newspaper and television awards
April 4, 2004
Students with Riverside Community College’s newspaper and television newscast won 10 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ annual convention.
The event, at the Wilshire Grand hotel in Los Angeles from April 1-3, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers and newscasts during the spring and fall 2003 semesters. Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering events in Los Angeles on deadline.
In a new contest, RCC television students received three awards for news stories they produced in the fall semester for their local newscast, Inland Valley News. Dominic Durden won second place for a story about volunteer firefighters. Bryan Anderson and Tamara Fosdick won honorable mentions for a story about blood donors.
Former Viewpoints student Michael Fortier won third place for an investigative news series of six newspaper stories about expired elevator permits that the college eventually replaced.
Former Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief James Seals won third place for front page designs for the Sept. 2, Oct. 23 and Nov. 6 issues.
Viewpoints graphic artist Jason Haniuk won third place for front-page design, fourth place for advertising design and an honorable mention for advertising design.
Viewpoints Managing Editor Anthony Guillen won an honorable mention for on-the-spot headline writing.
Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief Lark Winner was named to the Editor Honor Roll for her work this semester.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints named national College Newspaper of the Year
March 7, 2004
Riverside Community College's student newspaper, Viewpoints, was honored in Las Vegas today as the second-place Associated Collegiate Press national College Newspaper of the Year.
The award was for a single, complete newspaper published in 2003. Viewpoints entered its Sept. 23 issue, a record 44-page newspaper edited by James Seals in his second year with the newspaper. Its front page included stories about a criminal investigation of an RCC administrator and expired permits in the college’s elevators.
Seals credited high standards and the dedication of Viewpoints students for the award.
"I have had the good fortune to work with a crew of highly skilled and dedicated individuals who were all up to par with the high demands and standards I set and as a result we have achieved this high honor together,” Seals said. “However, I cannot stress enough that at the time our motivations were not on winning awards when we set out to publish the best newspaper this college has ever seen.”
Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace said the professional journalists and editors who judged all of the newspaper entries in the contest recognized Viewpoints students with the award in part because of their high level of commitment to public service.
“Viewpoints always serves the public by tackling difficult stories and providing leadership as the students’ voice at RCC,” Lovelace said. “This particular issue of the newspaper, however, set a new standard for depth and breadth of coverage that was truly impressive.”
More than 700 students attended the Associated Collegiate Press convention from 125 colleges across the U.S. and Canada. This is the first time Viewpoints entered the annual contest.
Associated Collegiate Press, founded in 1921, is the largest college media organization in North America.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints named best community college newspaper in Southern California
Oct. 18, 2003
Riverside Community College’s student newspaper, Viewpoints, won the Best of Show Award today at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ Southern California conference.
The conference, at CSU Fullerton Oct. 17-18, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semesters. Students also competed in on-the-spot contests by covering events at the university during the conference.
In a new contest, Viewpoints received the Best of Show Award for the Sept. 2 and Sept. 25 issues from this semester. The award is given to the best community college newspaper in Southern California and Arizona in the categories of writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief James Seals won second place for front page designs for the Oct. 24, 2002, March 13 and May 15 issues.
Viewpoints graphic artist Jason Haniuk won second place for front-page design and honorable mentions for an informational graphic, a line illustration and an inside page design published in Viewpoints. He also won an honorable mention for an editorial cartoon about Los Angeles Times photographer Don Bartletti, who won the Pulitzer Prize this year for his “Enrique’s Journey” photographs.
Viewpoints copy editor Rene Colquette won an honorable mention for three Viewpoints opinion columns.
Staff writer Anthony Guillen won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot sports story about a CSU Fullerton soccer game.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints student wins national Story of the Year Award
Sept. 16, 2003
A Riverside Community College student won an award today in the Associated Collegiate Press Story of the Year national contest for an editorial published in the college’s newspaper.
Viewpoints writer Mary Shelton, competing against students from universities and community colleges across the nation, won third place for "TGI Firings," a March 13 editorial about the firings of instructors Chip Stearns and Suzanne Davis. Stearns has claimed he was fired in retaliation for publishing a local teachers union newsletter article that stated RCC's administration violated state law by spending more than half of the college's budget on administration.
Shelton credited RCC's Journalism program at its Riverside Campus for nurturing her journalism skills.
"I am honored to have won an award in this competition, especially against students at such esteemed universities," she said. "I think that it reflects highly on the Journalism program at RCC that students like myself can develop and practice skills like editorial writing and receive the support we need to do the best work we can and can be recognized for it."
Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace said that he expected Shelton had a good shot to win the ACP national award, noting her many other recent awards. Shelton also won first and second place for editorial writing from the Society of Professional Journalists, Inland Empire chapter, earlier this year and first place for editorial writing from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges the last two years.
“Mary is one of the best student opinion writers in the United States,” Lovelace said. “She has strong writing ability and newsgathering skills, the highest ethical standards and a fearless commitment to holding the powerful accountable. That’s a combination that will carry her far in journalism.”
Shelton first joined the Viewpoints staff as an opinion columnist in 1999 and later served as the newspaper’s opinions editor. She also is a writer with the Black Voice News.
Shelton is the second Viewpoints student to win an ACP Story of the Year national award. Kevin Pearson won first place for a sports story in 2000.
The Associated Collegiate Press is a leading national journalism organization with several thousand students from the United States competing in its annual contests. Professional journalists and editors judge all entries in the organization’s contests.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win Los Angeles Times award
May 22, 2003
Viewpoints students won an honorable mention May 21 in the Los Angeles Times College Newspaper Overall Excellence competition.
The awards ceremony, at the Los Angeles Times building, recognized student newspapers from the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside.
Newspapers from 27 colleges and universities competed. Four university newspapers and four community college newspapers, including Viewpoints, won the Overall Excellence Award.
Viewpoints entered the Oct. 10, Oct. 24 and March 13 issues in the contest.
Times editors, reporters and designers judged the newspapers for writing, depth and variety of coverage, editing, editorial pages, photography, cartoons, graphics, sports coverage, advertising and design.
Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief James Seals said he is pleased that the Los Angeles Times rewarded the newspaper staff's commitment to public service.
"Our motivation here at Viewpoints is not to win awards," he said. "As dedicated journalists we're here to serve the people and their interests. The award is recognition of that service."
Viewpoints Adviser Allan Lovelace said he is thrilled that professional journalists have recognized Viewpoints students with several awards in recent weeks.
"Viewpoints students have won six awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, five awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and now this prestigious award from the Los Angeles Times," he said. "The students' hard work and dedication are being rewarded."
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win Society of Professional Journalists awards
May 12, 2003
Viewpoints students won five awards in the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Student Journalism contest.
The awards ceremony, in Ontario on May 10, recognized stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers from RCC, UC Riverside, California Baptist University, the University of La Verne and Victor Valley College.
After the student portion of the ceremony, editors, reporters and photographers from The Press-Enterprise, the Sun and several other newspapers in the Inland Empire received SPJ awards for their work.
"It was a thrill to attend the ceremony and see RCC's newspaper represented so well before an audience of dozens of professional journalists and editors," said Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace. "This was the first time Viewpoints students entered this contest, yet they won top honors while competing with university students."
Viewpoints writer Mary Shelton won first place for "Some Coals for RCC," a Dec. 5 editorial about the college's budget. She also won second place for "Lurking behind the curtain," an Oct. 24 editorial about four former RCC administrators.
Former Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief Derek Rich won first place for "Add card madness," a March 14, 2002 news story about problems caused by changes to the form used to add classes.
Rich also won first place for "Nobody does it better," a Dec. 5 two-page spread about the 20th James Bond movie, "Die another day."
Former Viewpoints Photo Editor Al Cuizon won first place for a sports photo of RCC swimmer Travis Simpson competing in the 50-meter butterfly.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win JACC awards
April 4, 2003
Viewpoints students received six awards April 4 at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual convention in Sacramento.
The convention featured workshops by professional journalists, on-the-spot contests for the more than 500 students who attended and an awards ceremony to recognize winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers from colleges throughout California.
Former Viewpoints photo editor Al Cuizon won first place for a sports news photo of an RCC swimmer.
Cuizon also won fourth place for a photo essay of the RCC men's baseball team's state championship game. He also won two honorable mentions for sports feature photos.
Former Editor-in-Chief Dennis Pope won fourth place for a photo essay.
Graphic Designer Jason Haniuk won an honorable mention for a line illustration.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins JACC General Excellence Award
Oct. 19, 2002
Student journalists with Riverside Community College's newspaper, Viewpoints, received 14 awards including General Excellence today at the Journalism Association of Community College's Southern California conference.
The conference, at CSU Fullerton Oct. 18-19, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2001 and spring 2002 semesters.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the March 14, March 28, April 18, May 2 and May 31 issues. The award is given to newspapers that excel in writing, editing, content, leadership, photography, design and advertising.
Viewpoints writer Mary Shelton won first place for an editorial about the firing of tenured professor Chip Stearns and second place for an editorial about fungus and mold in the A. G. Paul Quadrangle.
Isaac Fabela won first place for an opinion story about a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw flag burning.
Al Cuizon won third place awards for news and sports photos.
Inscape editor Derek Rich won fourth place for an opinion story about the entertainment media's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He also won an honorable mention for a critical review and another for a line illustration.
Dennis Pope won an honorable mention for a sports feature story and another for inside page design.
Alexis Zibolis won an honorable mention for a depth news story about a blood drive at RCC.
News editor Lenore Ankenman won an honorable mention for a news story written on deadline at the convention.
Former journalism assistant Kevin Pearson won an honorable mention for a sports feature photo of Tigers quarterback Ronnie Hill.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins JACC General Excellence Award
April 8, 2002
Students with Riverside Community College's campus newspaper, Viewpoints, received the General Excellence Award at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual convention in Sacramento.
The convention, held April 4-6, featured workshops by professional journalists, on-the-spot contests for the more than 500 students who attended and an awards ceremony to recognize winning stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers from 65 colleges in California and Arizona.
The Viewpoints staff received the General Excellence Award for the Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, Nov. 21 and Dec. 6 issues of the newspaper. The award is given to newspapers that excel in writing, editing, leadership, content, design, art and photography.
Editor in Chief Derek Rich won first place for a Viewpoints critical review of last year’s U2 concert at the Staples Center. He also won fourth place for front-page design.
Arts and entertainment editor Mike Egelin won second place for an on-the-spot critical review of a documentary.
Former Moreno Valley Bureau Chief Melissa Eiselein won fourth place for a May 31 feature story about RCC student Troy Thomas and his struggles with sickle cell anemia.
Associate Editor Dennis Pope won fourth place for front-page designs of the April 19, Sept. 27 and Dec. 6 issues.
Advertising Manager Guyland Thomas won fourth place for an on-the-spot feature photo.
Staff writer Aaron Proctor won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot sports story.
Al Cuizon won an honorable mention for a Dec. 6 Viewpoints news photo of RCC students protesting against U.S. military action in Afghanistan.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins All-American Award
Feb. 15, 2002
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has received the All-American Award from the Associated Collegiate Press for the fall 2000-spring 2001 academic year.
Viewpoints received marks of distinction in leadership; coverage and content; layout and design; and photography, art and graphics.
The award is the fifth consecutive All-American in as many years for Viewpoints.
An Associated Collegiate Press contest judge praised Viewpoints students' efforts.
"This is a very good-looking newspaper,” said John F. Schmitt.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487 or by e-mail at .
Viewpoints wins JACC General Excellence
Oct. 20, 2001
Student journalists with Riverside Community College's newspaper, Viewpoints, received 12 awards including General Excellence today at the Journalism Association of Community College's Southern California conference.
The conference, at CSU Fullerton Oct. 19-20, featured workshops by professional journalists and an awards ceremony for winning entries from stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers during the fall 2000 and spring 2001 semesters.
Viewpoints received the General Excellence Award for the March 15, March 29, April 19, May 3 and May 17 issues.
Viewpoints Opinions Editor Mary Shelton won first place for an Oct. 26, 2000 editorial about vermin and mold in RCC's A.G. Paul Quadrangle and an honorable mention for another editorial about administrative censorship at East LA Valley College.
Editor-in-Chief Dennis Pope won third place for his design of the March 29 sports back page and an honorable mention for an editorial about the Student Senate's decision to provide funding to the Newtonian Society, which included three student government members.
Former journalism assistant Kevin Pearson won third place for an inside page design and an honorable mention for a March 15 sports news story about the women's basketball team.
Former Moreno Valley Bureau Chief Melissa Eiselein won third place for a feature story about Moreno Valley Campus chef Gus Saxon.
Former Viewpoints writer Paul Laustsen won third place for a feature photo of AmeriCorps volunteer mentor Carl Hudson Jr.
Advertising manager Guyland Thomas won third place for an inside page design.
Viewpoints won fourth place for front-page designs of the April 19, May 3 and May 17 issues.
Former Sports Editor Chris Miller won an honorable mention for columns about professional hockey, college football and sports writer Jim Murray.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins All-American Award
Feb. 13, 2001
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has received the All-American Award from the Associated Collegiate Press for the fall 1999-spring 2000 academic year.
Viewpoints received all five marks of distinction in leadership; coverage and content; writing and editing; layout and design; and photography, art and graphics.
"It shows that the students on the Viewpoints staff have a strong commitment to journalism and producing top-quality work," said Kevin Pearson, Viewpoints' managing editor during the fall 1999-spring 2000 academic year and its current journalism assistant. “Our only hope is that we can continue producing such a high-quality publication that people want to read.”
Viewpoints adviser Allan Lovelace said he is pleased that winning major national awards has become a habit for his students.
"This All-American award, our fourth in as many years, follows Kevin Pearson’s national Associated Collegiate Press Story of the Year Award in competition with university students in November," Lovelace said. “Our students are amazing and deserve every award they win.”
An Associated Collegiate Press contest judge also praised Viewpoints students' efforts.
"You give your readers a satisfying paper,” the judge said.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints student wins national Story of the Year Award
Nov. 10, 2000
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Riverside Community College student Kevin Pearson was honored today as the first place winner in the Associated Collegiate Press Story of the Year contest.
Two weeks ago, Pearson was informed that he was a third, second or first place winner in the category for a sports feature story published in Viewpoints on Feb. 16 about the women’s basketball team at RCC. He then attended the journalism convention with Viewpoints faculty adviser Allan Lovelace where he received a plaque for first place.
Upon announcement of his first place win today, Pearson said that he was surprised.
“I never thought in a million years I could win this award,” he said. “When I found out I was a finalist, I was shocked. When I found out I was first, I was amazed.”
Pearson said he especially appreciates the award because of the competition. He competed against students from universities and community colleges across the nation. Winners of Second, Third and honorable mention in the same category were students from Indiana University, Syracuse University and the University of Iowa.
“To be a junior college student and win an award in a contest that includes four-year writers, that says something.”
Lovelace said he is not surprised that Pearson won.
“Kevin is among the best student journalists in the United States, and he deserves the award and the many others he has won recently,” Lovelace said. “What amazes me is that Viewpoints students win even more prestigious awards every year, surpassing already impressive honors each time they enter a state or national contest.”
Pearson first joined the Viewpoints staff as a sports writer in 1997 and later served as the newspaper’s sports editor. He is Viewpoints’ journalism assistant and works part time with The Press-Enterprise.
He is the winner of numerous Journalism Association of Community Colleges awards. For the last two years, Pearson was named Journalist of the Year for RCC’s Journalism Program.
The Associated Collegiate Press is a leading national journalism organization with several thousand students from the United States and Europe attending and competing in its annual convention. Professional journalists and editors judge all entries in the organization’s contests, with the Los Angeles Times judging the Story of the Year entries this year.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Inland Valley News wins national best newscast award
Nov. 11, 2000
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Riverside Community College's weekly television newscast, Inland Valley News, was honored today with Third Place in the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show contest.
The winning newscast was produced by students enrolled in a Telecommunications class taught by Bud Tedesco and Allan Lovelace at the college. The newscast's student producer is Rebecca Rowe.
Riverside Community College was the only community college to win in the broadcast category.
The Associated Collegiate Press is a leading national journalism organization with several thousand students from the United States and Europe attending and competing in its annual convention. Professional journalists and editors judge all entries in the organization's contests.
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins JACC General Excellence Award
Oct. 1, 2000
Riverside Community College's student newspaper, Viewpoints, received the General Excellence Award at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges Southern California conference held Sept. 29-30.
The convention, at California State University in Fullerton, featured workshops by professional journalists and live, or "on-the-spot," contests for students from community colleges in Southern California. The event also included an awards ceremony for winning on-the-spot and newspaper stories, photos and designs published during the fall 1999 and spring 2000 semesters.
Viewpoints students won 23 awards in the newspaper and on-the-spot contests, including the General Excellence Award for the Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Feb. 16 issues.
Viewpoints journalism assistant and former Sports Editor Kevin Pearson won first place for a Viewpoints sports story about RCC’s athletics budget, second place for an on-the-spot sports story about a karate event and honorable mentions for informational graphics about the athletics budget and a special pull-out section about baseball playoffs.
Former Viewpoints photographer David Shea won first place for an informational graphic, third place and an honorable mention for sports news photos and an honorable mention for a feature photo.
Former Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief Lonnie Childress won first place for an informational graphic about the college’s budget.
Photo Editor Guyland Thomas won fourth place for an on-the-spot feature photo and honorable mentions for on-the-spot news and sports photos.
Opinions Editor Mary Shelton won an honorable mention for opinion columns about the television program “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire” and the decision by many Riverside police to shave their heads to express their opposition to the firing of four officers after the Tyisha Miller shooting.
Former Viewpoints writer Kimberly Smith won an honorable mention for a depth news story about emergency contraception.
Former Viewpoints writer Dominee Herrera won an honorable mention for a depth news story about disabled student access to buildings at RCC.
Editor-in-Chief Dennis Pope won honorable mentions for an informational graphic and an on-the-spot editorial about diversity in journalism.
Former Viewpoints cartoonist Ryan Noble won an honorable mention for a cartoon.
Former Viewpoints journalism assistant and Editor-in-Chief Doug Seino won an honorable mention for an inside page design.
Viewpoints Moreno Valley Bureau Chief Melissa Eiselein won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot feature story.
The Viewpoints staff won an honorable mention for the Oct. 21, Nov. 4 and April 6 issues’ front pages.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins JACC General Excellence Award
April 16, 2000
Riverside Community College's student newspaper, Viewpoints, received the General Excellence Award at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual convention held April 14-15.
The convention, at California State University in Fresno, featured workshops by professional journalists and live, or "on-the-spot," contests for 560 students from 64 California and Arizona community colleges. The event also included an awards ceremony for winning entries from on-the-spot contests and stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers.
Viewpoints students won 15 awards in the newspaper and on-the-spot contests.
Viewpoints Copy Editor Kimberly Smith won first place for an Oct. 7 news story about roaches in the Applied Technology Building's classrooms, vending machines and bathrooms. She also won first place for on-the-spot headlines and third place for an on-the-spot critical review.
Sports Editor Kevin Pearson won first place for a Viewpoints sports news story about RCC's athletics budget. He also won honorable mentions for a sports feature story and an on-the-spot feature story.
Photographer Guyland Thomas won second-place awards for on-the-spot news and sports photos.
Former Viewpoints photographer David Shea won second place for a sports news photo and an honorable mention for a front-page design.
Editor-in-Chief Lonnie Childress won fourth place for a Sept. 1 inside-page design about the pop music industry and an honorable mention for a front-page design.
Former Editor-in-Chief Doug Seino won an honorable mention for a front-page design.
The Viewpoints staff won an honorable mention for headlines published on Sept. 23 and Dec. 2.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints wins All-American Award
Feb. 1, 2000
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has received the All-American Award from the Associated Collegiate Press for the fall 1998-spring 1999 academic year.
Viewpoints received marks of distinction in coverage and content, writing and editing, layout and design, and leadership.
"Winning this award is the reflection of my and the staff's focus on not only the basic fundamentals, but also on adding creativity and artistic design," said Doug Seino, Viewpoints' editor-in-chief during the 1998-99 academic year.
During the fall 1999 semester, Viewpoints students also won 25 awards - the highest total in eight years - from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
"The students' hard work, talent and commitment to public service were recognized with the many awards they received this year," said Allan Lovelace, Viewpoints' faculty adviser.
An Associated Collegiate Press contest judge praised Viewpoints students' efforts.
"An excellent sense of your responsibilities to lead your readership," the judge said. "Simply an outstanding paper."
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win 25 JACC awards
Oct. 2, 1999
Students with Riverside Community College's student newspaper, Viewpoints, received
25 awards today at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual Southern California conference.
Students from community colleges in Southern California attended workshops given by
professional journalists and competed in live, or "on-the-spot," contests at the conference held at California State University, Fullerton. The event included an awards ceremony for both the on-the-spot events and stories, photos and designs published in student newspapers.
Former Moreno Valley Bureau Chief Jackie Kanian won first place for a Nov. 19 feature story about math instructor Kathy Saxon's efforts to rebuild her life after losing her house in a fire.
Former artist Liston Morris won first place for an editorial cartoon, first place for an ad and fourth place for a photo illustration.
Former Viewpoints Advertising Design Editor Paula Felter also won first place for a Feb. 25 Viewpoints ad.
Former Norco Bureau Chief Michael Sullivan won second place for a feature story on a woman who was smuggled across the California border and now has a 4.0 GPA as a legal state resident.
Former Editor-in-Chief Doug Seino won third place for front-page design, fourth place for a photo illustration and honorable mentions for an April 1 opinion story about discrimination against Asian Americans in Hollywood films and three columns about the Tyisha Miller shooting. He also won an honorable mention for an on-the-spot news story written on deadline during the conference.
Former Photo Editor David Shea won third place for front-page design, fourth place for an inside page design, fourth place for a photo illustration about the Tyisha Miller shooting and an honorable mention for a news photo of Stacy D'Arc reading a postcard written by her late father, John D'Arc, a director of plays at RCC.
Photo Editor Karon Horta won third place for a feature photo taken during the
conference.
Former artist Tremayne Hodges won third place for a line illustration accompanying an article on parental screening of the Internet to protect children.
Former Arts and Entertainment Editor Dan Alegria and Assistant A& E Editor Chrystal Lehman each won fourth place for a May 13 inside page design about a dance performance in Landis Auditorium.
Editor-in-Chief Lonnie Childress won an honorable mention for a May 13 Viewpoints news story about a march attended by Martin Luther King III to protest the shooting of Tyisha Miller.
Sports Editor Kevin Pearson won an honorable mention for a May 13 inside page design about "Star Wars" existing in a parallel universe.
Matthew Calkins won an honorable mention for a news photo of Danny Bakewell of the Brotherhood Crusade being led away by police during a protest about the Tyisha Miller shooting. Former Viewpoints photographer Romeo Inigo won an honorable mention for an April 15 sports news photo.
Former Viewpoints photographer Adam Wright won an honorable mention for a sports feature
photo of the RCC Tigers football team's offensive line.
The Viewpoints staff won an honorable mention for headlines appearing in the May 13 and April 15 issues of Viewpoints.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints students win 11 state awards
April 9, 1999
Riverside Community College's Internet student newspaper, Viewpoints Online,
received the General Excellence Award today at the Journalism Association of
Community Colleges annual convention.
Nearly 600 students from community colleges throughout California attended
workshops given by professional journalists and competed in live, or "on-the-spot,"
contests at the convention, held April 9-10 at California State University, Fresno. The
event included award ceremonies for the on-the-spot and newspaper writing, design and
photography contests.
Viewpoints students won a total of 10 additional awards.
Doug Seino, Viewpoints’ Editor-in-Chief, won first place for an on-the-spot news
story about a staged drug arrest at the convention.
Seino also shared an honorable mention with former Editor-in-Chief Isaiah Akin
and City Editor Mario Gomez for front-page designs of the March 12, 1998, May 14 and
Oct. 22 issues of Viewpoints.
Akin also won second place for a news story about privatization of the Bookstore.
Akin also won fourth place for three depth news stories about the death of RCC
student Salancie Irene Lujan and the vehicular manslaughter charges filed against RCC
student Jose Maria Ayala Jr. Akin also won an honorable mention for an inside page design that
included opinion stories about college mascots and the freedom to choose whether to smoke.
Viewpoints photographer Adam Wright won fourth place for a sports feature
photo that was taken from behind a face mask to show what opposing teams see when
facing the RCC football team’s 300-pound offensive linemen.
The Viewpoints staff won fourth place for headlines.
Former Opinions Editor James Aceron won an honorable mention for an opinion
column about the emerging problem of wives battering their husbands.
Invaluable lessons are imparted to the students at the conventions each year.
For example, Seino recounted how in one workshop, freelance investigative
journalist Don Ray, well-known for his animated, lively lectures, described ways to get
information for stories from less obvious sources.
Ray said in the workshop that he once sent a student intern to report about illegal
smuggling of exotic birds into the U.S. After a few hours, the intern became frustrated
and said none of the pet store owners in town would talk about the problem. So when
Ray saw a custodian sweeping the floor next to the newsroom, he asked if the man knew
anything about the smuggling. The custodian said he lived with a smuggler of exotic
birds.
“He’s always an interesting, humorous individual,” Seino said of Ray, whose
workshops on interviewing and news gathering are well-attended each semester.
Information about Viewpoints, Viewpoints Online and RCC's Journalism program
is available at 951-222-8487.
Viewpoints selected as one of the best newspapers in the nation
Sept. 23, 1998
Viewpoints, Riverside Community College's student newspaper, has been
selected as one of the 10 best community college newspapers in the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press made the announcement today when it released
the results of its national Pacemaker Finalist Award competition. Ten community college
newspapers received the Pacemaker Finalist Award this year.
The Pacemaker Award, considered the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism, is
the highest national award a student newspaper can receive for one year of work.
"The fact that we've been selected as a Pacemaker Finalist Award recipient just goes to
show that we overcame a lot of obstacles in putting together the newspaper and produced
a winner," said Doug Seino, Viewpoints' returning editor-in-chief from the spring
semester.
The Pacemaker Finalist Award is the fourth high honor earned by Viewpoints this
year.
In July, Viewpoints received the Associated Collegiate Press All-American
Award with all five marks of distinction and 4,073 of the possible 4,150 points.
In 1998, the newspaper received the Pacesetter Award, the highest honor given to
community college newspapers in California, from the Journalism Association of
Community Colleges.
Also during the spring 1998 semester, Viewpoints' former photo editor, Doug
Benc, received the College Photographer of the Year Award, second place in the nation.
"The students earned all these awards this year," said Allan Lovelace, Viewpoints'
faculty adviser. "I am thrilled that working professional journalists recognized our
newspaper students at Riverside Community College as being among the best in the
nation."
Information about Viewpoints and RCC's Journalism program is available at 951-
222-8487.
“Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale,” presented by Allan Lovelace in March 2005 at the University of Oxford, England
(*See also AB 2581 in California)
Downtown Oxford, March 2005.
“Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale,” presented by Allan Lovelace in March 2005 at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom:
“Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale”
Originally presented at the Oxford Education Round Table, March 2005
& Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual convention, April 2005
By Allan Lovelace
(Updated June 2005)
Abstract
"Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale."
Administrators who do not appreciate the advantages of freedom of the press for college students are more likely to attempt to censor them. Faculty advisers to student media, however, see evidence every day that student journalists and the public benefit from freedom of the press.
Drawing on John Merrill’s call for journalistic autonomy, this paper examines the benefits of freedom for student journalists to develop their own voice. Current and former student journalists are interviewed to discuss the impact freedom of the press had in providing them with opportunities to learn from their successes and mistakes in working with student media.
Drawing on Malcolm MacLean’s call for student journalists to feel a responsibility to their fellow humans, this paper also examines some of the benefits freedom of the press provides for the public. Current and former student journalists are interviewed about their stories that had an impact and led to significant change.
Administrators who are not aware of the advantages of freedom of the press for college students are more likely to attempt to censor them. Faculty advisers to student media, however, see evidence every day that student journalists and the public benefit from freedom of the press. There is a need, then, for faculty advisers to student media to share with the academic community their insight into the benefits of freedom of the press for college students. To do that, faculty advisers to student media can draw upon the ideas of great thinkers on the topic of press freedom, give examples of student journalism success stories, and explain the need for members of the academic community to be patient and understanding when they interact with student journalists. While many prominent thinkers have expressed support for freedom of expression, two journalism scholars – John C. Merrill and Malcolm MacLean -- stand out with their very different press theories; when their arguments for freedom and responsibility are combined, a persuasive synthesis results that provides a two-part rationale for freedom of the press. The benefits of freedom of the press melded with social responsibility are both immediate and long term for college students: They develop their voice when they have the freedom to experiment and discover what works for them; the public benefits when student journalists discover that what they do can have profound effects on people’s lives.
Some background is in order to establish how freedom of the press has developed to its current status for college students. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution paved the way for freedom of the press in 1791 with its press clause: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” The U.S. Fourteenth Amendment extended freedom of the press in 1868 by prohibiting the states from violating constitutionally protected freedoms. The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed these protections with its Gitlow v. New York decision in 1925 when it said that the rights of freedom of speech and press are "among the fundamental rights and 'liberties' protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment from impairment by the states." And in one of its most important free press decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court said in its New York Times v. Sullivan decision in 1964: “We consider this case against the background of a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide open and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.” Important court decisions involving student expression include the Trujillo v. Love decision in 1971, which held that college administrators could not require the student editor to submit controversial content to a faculty adviser for review prior to publication. An appellate court said in its Milliner v. Turner decision in 1983 that because the First Amendment prohibits its censoring student expression, a university is not liable for student media content it cannot legally control. A Minnesota appeals court in March 2005 upheld a district court's decision that St. Cloud State University is not liable for defamatory statements published in the student newspaper, reaffirming the principle that colleges that do not censor college newspapers will be shielded from liability for what the students publish. In Hosty v. Carter, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has decided that college student journalists in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin have no more First Amendment freedom than that of high school students – but an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is being prepared.
Statesmen, philosophers, and international organizations have made important contributions in defense of freedom of expression. Thomas Jefferson, in a quote now engraved on the exterior of one of the Los Angeles Times buildings, writes: “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Jefferson made this bold pronouncement because he believed that a free press was a precursor to democracy, while a freely elected government that censored the press was heading down the muddy road toward totalitarianism. John Stuart Mill, in “On Liberty” in 1859, made such a logical two-part argument for freedom of expression that it would be difficult for a reasonable person to argue against it: “The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race, posterity as well as the existing generation – those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the expression is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth; if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth produced by its collision with error.” The international Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 19 made clear in 1948 that freedom of expression is not “granted” by a benevolent government to its people (or to its student journalists!), but rather it is a basic human right all people throughout the world are born with. Article 19 states that “(e)veryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
John Merrill, in his book “Existential Journalism” in 1977, emphasized the importance of freedom for the individual journalist when he defined an autonomous journalist in part as one who “accepts and uses freedom – personal and journalistic. He is dedicated to freedom; it is his imperative, and as an existentialist he sees his freedom as everyone’s.” Such freedom was essential for journalists to find meaning in their work, Merrill believed. In “Existential Journalism” Merrill writes of the need for individual journalists to make use of what freedom remained in the 1970s. “Press freedom is dying everywhere,” Merrill writes. “This ‘sense of freedom’s doom,’ this anxiety, leads to a concern for involvement, to a commitment to commitment. No more is the journalist satisfied to simply muddle through the day, doing the same mechanistic duties, being caught in the ever-deepening rut in the newsroom. There is a new dedication to commitment, to making every day count, to pushing back the limits of restrictions, to suggesting the unorthodox, to daring to be honest – in short, to making oneself into an ever more authentic journalist.”
The strong libertarian emphasis on press freedom that was manifest to varying degrees in America’s history from its revolutionary years was de-emphasized somewhat from the 1940s through the 1980s as many media critics and journalists themselves embraced social responsibility with its emphasis on public service. This transformation did not come without opposition or concern. Merrill warned in “The Imperative of Freedom” in 1974 about the weakening of journalistic freedom that could result in a move away from libertarian press freedom to social responsibility when he wrote that “(a)ny power to make the press ‘responsible’ or ‘accountable’ is the negation of liberty; if society, or a press council, or a judge, or a jury, or any other non-journalistic group assumes the power to define for the press what ‘responsible’ journalism is, then liberty is surrendered. It is just that simple.” And J. Herbert Altschull pointed out in “From Milton to McLuhan – The Ideas Behind American Journalism” that journalists can only be responsible if they have freedom: “You must be free to make the choice. If your choice is not free, if you are forced to act under threat, you are not responsible for your behavior. The one doing the threatening is responsible.” By the 1980s, however, the move toward social responsibility even drew Merrill aboard. In his 1989 book “The Dialectic in Journalism,” Merrill moves toward a moderated view of press freedom when he writes: “So we can see that the thesis (freedom) is presently being attacked by the antithesis (social control). From this dialectical cauldron is emerging a synthesis of social responsibility – a moderated and socially concerned use of journalistic freedom.”
Malcolm MacLean, head of the journalism department at the University of Iowa from 1967-1972, wrote passionately about the need to emphasize social responsibility in journalism education. In his lecture “On the Education of Responsible Newsmen” presented in 1968, MacLean said: “I see an implied demand that our communicators need to know deeply, emphatically, and at the same time to be able to analyze objectively and communicate what it means to be poor among the rich, to be hungry among the well-fed, to be black among the white, to be degraded among the smug, to be sick among the healthy, to be unheard, unheard, unheard…in a society noisy with messages.” He defined what it meant to be a responsible journalist as “knowledge of sensitivity to the consequences of your decisions, of your actions or inactions.” In his lecture “Journalism Education at the University of Iowa,” presented in 1970, MacLean said that journalism educators must go beyond teaching fundamental skills and emphasize to their students the need to serve the public. MacLean writes: “Suppose that I, as a journalism teacher, ask myself: What am I for? If I close in on that question at one level, I might answer: I am for teaching young people to do the things that journalists do. In a sense, I make myself an agent for the journalistic industries and for the young people who want to become journalists…If I approach that question from another level, I might answer: I am for helping people to discover and fulfill the information needs of their communities. Thus, I make myself an agent for members of the larger society.” MacLean said in his lecture that if the media met the needs of their communities, then his teaching students to acquire basic journalism skills and approaches would be adequate. He claimed, however, that media were failing to fulfill that need. In his “Position Paper for the Ad Hoc Committee on Media Evaluation,” MacLean identified what he believed journalism students should be taught. “I suggest,” MacLean writes, “we journalism teachers might reach our greatest impact by developing our journalism schools to make heretical, subversive infiltrators of our graduates. What might be the nature of such a heretic? For one thing, he is at least as competent as our graduates of today in basic communicative skills…That means he can write well and appropriately. He can use a camera effectively, produce pictures which say something. He can film and knows how to handle video and audio tape and other tools of broadcasting. And he knows how to put these together in packages which make a real difference to his intended audience. Our heretic is deeply concerned about the human condition. He cares about the consequences of his work – not just the immediate results, but especially the long run. He has high purpose…Our heretic has courage, patience, and, in battle, a tough skin. He knows that any basic change makes waves.” MacLean, while a liberal and advocate of social change, was not a revolutionary, as he demonstrated in his description of the “heretic” journalist he hoped to prepare. “If he is a good infiltrator,” MacLean writes, “he won’t need to overthrow the establishment. Rather, he’ll help to make it an establishment that works. In some communities, he may find that the only way to fill the communicative needs of a community is to create his own enterprise. Our heretic gains the initiative, drive, and skills to do that.” Of course, almost 40 years after MacLean urged journalism educators to prepare “subversive heretics,” we are witnessing young people creating their own enterprises now, with the millions of blogs that are sprouting up and drawing in some cases more hits on the Internet than that of local news media Web sites.
Many college students are attracted to journalism because they see it as an occupation that offers the possibility of making a difference through public service. Malcolm MacLean’s father, Malcolm MacLean Sr., encourages educators to nurture that spirit in all students when he writes: “(T)here emerges gradually in most normal young people of high school and college age an urge toward idealism and altruism. Hurt or made doubtful by what they see around them, they dream of a better world and develop a desire to reform, improve, and change the life of humanity from what it is to something far better. If this idealism and altruism are supported by their teachers, it may lead to personal and social growth toward sound democratic citizenship.” Journalism students who made a profound difference include John McGauley, a former news editor with Ball State University’s student newspaper in 1989-1990, who exposed serious problems in a science building’s ventilation system. Although Ball State administrators had for years downplayed the dangers from chemical fumes in the building, they eventually agreed to fix the problem with a repair job that cost more than $1 million after McGauley’s stories revealed the threats to public health. Northwestern University journalism students assisted a professor in proving the innocence of several men on death row in 1996. And at Riverside Community College in California, student journalist Mary Shelton, who won a national story of the year award in 2003, reported about toxic conditions in the college’s poorly maintained buildings. Shelton, in a particularly candid editorial with the headline “Is there a fungus among us?” writes: “And the Quadrangle is a perfect place for these molds to call home, just as it was for the Norway rats, the mice, opossums and skunks that paved the way, with their rotting carcasses and piles of fecal matter that provided nourishment for the organisms to survive and prosper” (quite descriptive!). Shelton said the silver lining of studying in such a filthy, unsafe building was the opportunity to learn from reporting about the problems while trying to make a difference. “It's the power of the press in action,” she said, “to perform public service, which is what journalism is all about.”
Students learn best when they have the freedom to follow their own conscience, discover what works for them and find their own voice. For example, Tim Guy, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper at Riverside Community College, said he and his fellow student journalists benefited in 2004 by having the freedom to take responsibility for their work when they produced a national Pacemaker newspaper. Guy said: “It helped knowing that the staff and I did not have various people watching our every move to make sure it was appropriate, being able to decide for ourselves what was best to be in the paper.” Kevin Pearson, winner of a national first place story of the year award in 2000 at Riverside Community College, demonstrated the kind of bold approach to journalism that Merrill advocated in his call for journalistic autonomy. Pearson said: “We didn't sugar-coat the news, as too many college papers often do, and we reported what we saw, what we knew, and did so with our journalistic integrity in mind.” And Agnes Diggs exercised both freedom and responsibility in her student journalism when she exposed problems at Long Beach City College with nonexistent classes and at Chapman University with a football eligibility scandal. Diggs said: “Knowing I have the protection of the U.S. Constitution and being aware of the attendant responsibility makes me more tenacious and more careful when reporting and writing.”
Student journalists learn not only from their successes in serving the public, but from their mistakes as well. Although a university professor thought a student was intentionally using a clever technique to get the point across that funding for education was inadequate, the truth is that when the student misspelled the word “Education” in a headline it was a mistake – a particularly embarrassing one. And when a student journalist wrote a photo caption that read “Unveiling the plague” -- under a photo of a plaque unveiling ceremony in honor of a private college president with a giant ego -- he learned a valuable lesson about the need to double check cutlines before publication. But in nearly every case, students learn from their mistakes. “Everyone is going to make mistakes,” Shelton said, “because even though you are taught to be conscientious and meticulous about your work, some lessons only stick if you learn them the hard way…I still make the occasional mistake and deal with it honestly because that's the only acceptable way to handle it.” I learned that lesson as an undergraduate after I complained in a student newspaper editorial about a scholar in his speech using words I assumed many fellow students would not understand. A professor met with me later, and after he patiently explained my mistake he calmly and respectfully requested a correction; when I agreed to publish one he immediately withdrew the request, saying that he just wanted to make sure that I understood that I had made a mistake in my story. His example of how to disagree with a student journalist by turning a private meeting into an effective teaching moment should serve as an example for everyone in academia of how to constructively help student journalists learn from their mistakes. Soon after my meeting with the professor, Garrett Sheldon, we became good friends. After I recommended him, he received the Professor of the Year Award for the state of Virginia.
Another effective method of helping student journalists learn from their mistakes – and their successes – is with a thorough but respectfully delivered student media critique session, given either by a professional journalist or the faculty adviser. Students’ successes should be pointed out first and they should receive the most attention during the critique. In his 1956 book “Change and Process in Education,” Malcolm MacLean Sr. notes that effective teachers recognize that “praise and reward – for even small accomplishments – must exceed blame.” As long as critiques do not go beyond constructive criticism, then instead of chilling expression they have the potential to help students learn from their mistakes. MacLean Sr. points out the benefit of criticism that is not too harsh: “Psychological research demonstrated that mild frustration stimulates learning and contributes to the growth of personality.” The goal is to help students develop their own inner guide. “The democratic ideal we struggle to achieve,” MacLean Sr. writes, “is that each of us shall attain a state of self-discipline and maturity so that we have the power to make the right choices among alternative ways of behaving.”
One of the institutions college students want to improve is that of the media. They know that so much of the media today treat the news as if it were what Neil Postman decried in the 1980s as entertainment designed to leave us “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” While hundreds of millions of people in the wealthier nations know extensive details of Britney Spears’ love life and Bill Clinton’s infidelities, far fewer are aware of the complexities of global warming or species extinction or widespread poverty – or that these problems are largely human-caused. A related global crisis, reported by the World Wildlife Fund in its Living Planet Report for 2004, is that humans are consuming natural resources 20 percent faster than the planet can produce them; few Americans know that the United States, with 5 percent of the world’s population consumes more than 20 percent of the world’s resources. These problems demand urgent action, as time is running out to reverse the effects of pollution and overuse of the planet’s resources. If there is to be hope for humanity and even a small fraction of the planet’s other species to thrive in a healthy environment, then there must be a substantial change in focus by the media that can in part be initiated by journalism educators preparing students to understand that with freedom comes the responsibility to put the spotlight of the media on the significant threats and opportunities facing humankind. These journalism educators can find inspiration in MacLean’s writings and in Merrill’s 2001 book, “Twilight of Press Freedom,” in which he looks to the future of journalism: “The press in the 21st century will have reached the point where it recognizes that its basic role is to serve the public.”
References
Altschull, J. H. (1990). From Milton to McLuhan: The Ideas Behind American Journalism. New York: Longman.
Campbell, Roth. (2005, March 23). Minnesota university system's policy–prohibiting officials from intervening in newspaper content–shielded school. Student Press Law Center.
Diggs, A. (2005, January 25). (Interview).
Gitlow v. People of State of New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925).
Guy, T. (2005, January 8). (Interview).
Hosty v. Carter, 7th Cir. (2005).
Jefferson, T. (1787, January 16). Letter to Edward Carrington. Papers 11:48-49.
Living Planet Report. (2004). World Wildlife Fund.
MacLean, M. S. Sr. & Lee, E. A. (1956). Change and Process in Education. New York: Dryden.
MacLean, M. S. (1967). “Position Paper for the Ad Hoc Committee on Media Evaluation.” Prepared for the Association for Education in Journalism, University of Iowa School of Journalism.
MacLean, M. S. (1968, May 8-11). “On the Education of Responsible Newsmen.” 23rd Annual Conference, American Association for Public Opinion Research, Santa Barbara, California.
MacLean, M. S. (1970, April). “Journalism Education at the University of Iowa.” Presentation to alumni of the University of Iowa School of Journalism, New York City.
McGauley, J. (1989, October 31). Ventilation problems more severe than those at IU. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1989, November 1). Ventilation fumes in Cooper possibly carcinogenic. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1989, November 7). Officials unsure of chemical impact on health. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1990, January 29). Funding OK’d for Cooper, parking garage repairs. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
Merrill, J. C. (1974). The Imperative of Freedom. New York: Hastings House.
Merrill, J. C. (1977). Existential Journalism. New York: Hastings House.
Merrill, J. C. (1989). The Dialectic in Journalism. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
Merrill, J. C. (2001). Twilight of Press Freedom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Mill, J. S. (1859). On Liberty. Indianapolis: ITT Bobbs-Merrill.
Milliner v. Turner, 436 So. 2d 1300 La. App. (1983).
New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964).
Pearson, K. (2005, January 14). (Interview).
Protess, D. & Warden, R. (1998). A Promise of Justice. New York: Hyperion.
Postman, N. (1985). Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin.
Shelton, M. (2001, November 21). Is there a fungus among us? Viewpoints, p.6.
Shelton, M. (2005, January 22). (Interview).
Trujillo v. Love, 322 F. Supp. 1266. D. Colo. (1971).
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19. (1948). The United Nations.
*Thanks to state Senator Yee, college student journalists in California are now free from prior restraint. AB 2581, the California law that protects college students' press freedom, took effect January 1, 2007:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2551-2600/ab_2581_bill_20060828_chaptered.pdf
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2551-2600/ab_2581_bill_20060828_chaptered.html
Downtown Oxford, March 2005.
“Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale,” presented by Allan Lovelace in March 2005 at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom:
“Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale”
Originally presented at the Oxford Education Round Table, March 2005
& Journalism Association of Community Colleges annual convention, April 2005
By Allan Lovelace
(Updated June 2005)
Abstract
"Freedom of the Press for College Students: A Two-Part Rationale."
Administrators who do not appreciate the advantages of freedom of the press for college students are more likely to attempt to censor them. Faculty advisers to student media, however, see evidence every day that student journalists and the public benefit from freedom of the press.
Drawing on John Merrill’s call for journalistic autonomy, this paper examines the benefits of freedom for student journalists to develop their own voice. Current and former student journalists are interviewed to discuss the impact freedom of the press had in providing them with opportunities to learn from their successes and mistakes in working with student media.
Drawing on Malcolm MacLean’s call for student journalists to feel a responsibility to their fellow humans, this paper also examines some of the benefits freedom of the press provides for the public. Current and former student journalists are interviewed about their stories that had an impact and led to significant change.
Administrators who are not aware of the advantages of freedom of the press for college students are more likely to attempt to censor them. Faculty advisers to student media, however, see evidence every day that student journalists and the public benefit from freedom of the press. There is a need, then, for faculty advisers to student media to share with the academic community their insight into the benefits of freedom of the press for college students. To do that, faculty advisers to student media can draw upon the ideas of great thinkers on the topic of press freedom, give examples of student journalism success stories, and explain the need for members of the academic community to be patient and understanding when they interact with student journalists. While many prominent thinkers have expressed support for freedom of expression, two journalism scholars – John C. Merrill and Malcolm MacLean -- stand out with their very different press theories; when their arguments for freedom and responsibility are combined, a persuasive synthesis results that provides a two-part rationale for freedom of the press. The benefits of freedom of the press melded with social responsibility are both immediate and long term for college students: They develop their voice when they have the freedom to experiment and discover what works for them; the public benefits when student journalists discover that what they do can have profound effects on people’s lives.
Some background is in order to establish how freedom of the press has developed to its current status for college students. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution paved the way for freedom of the press in 1791 with its press clause: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” The U.S. Fourteenth Amendment extended freedom of the press in 1868 by prohibiting the states from violating constitutionally protected freedoms. The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed these protections with its Gitlow v. New York decision in 1925 when it said that the rights of freedom of speech and press are "among the fundamental rights and 'liberties' protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment from impairment by the states." And in one of its most important free press decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court said in its New York Times v. Sullivan decision in 1964: “We consider this case against the background of a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide open and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.” Important court decisions involving student expression include the Trujillo v. Love decision in 1971, which held that college administrators could not require the student editor to submit controversial content to a faculty adviser for review prior to publication. An appellate court said in its Milliner v. Turner decision in 1983 that because the First Amendment prohibits its censoring student expression, a university is not liable for student media content it cannot legally control. A Minnesota appeals court in March 2005 upheld a district court's decision that St. Cloud State University is not liable for defamatory statements published in the student newspaper, reaffirming the principle that colleges that do not censor college newspapers will be shielded from liability for what the students publish. In Hosty v. Carter, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has decided that college student journalists in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin have no more First Amendment freedom than that of high school students – but an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is being prepared.
Statesmen, philosophers, and international organizations have made important contributions in defense of freedom of expression. Thomas Jefferson, in a quote now engraved on the exterior of one of the Los Angeles Times buildings, writes: “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Jefferson made this bold pronouncement because he believed that a free press was a precursor to democracy, while a freely elected government that censored the press was heading down the muddy road toward totalitarianism. John Stuart Mill, in “On Liberty” in 1859, made such a logical two-part argument for freedom of expression that it would be difficult for a reasonable person to argue against it: “The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race, posterity as well as the existing generation – those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the expression is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth; if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth produced by its collision with error.” The international Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 19 made clear in 1948 that freedom of expression is not “granted” by a benevolent government to its people (or to its student journalists!), but rather it is a basic human right all people throughout the world are born with. Article 19 states that “(e)veryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
John Merrill, in his book “Existential Journalism” in 1977, emphasized the importance of freedom for the individual journalist when he defined an autonomous journalist in part as one who “accepts and uses freedom – personal and journalistic. He is dedicated to freedom; it is his imperative, and as an existentialist he sees his freedom as everyone’s.” Such freedom was essential for journalists to find meaning in their work, Merrill believed. In “Existential Journalism” Merrill writes of the need for individual journalists to make use of what freedom remained in the 1970s. “Press freedom is dying everywhere,” Merrill writes. “This ‘sense of freedom’s doom,’ this anxiety, leads to a concern for involvement, to a commitment to commitment. No more is the journalist satisfied to simply muddle through the day, doing the same mechanistic duties, being caught in the ever-deepening rut in the newsroom. There is a new dedication to commitment, to making every day count, to pushing back the limits of restrictions, to suggesting the unorthodox, to daring to be honest – in short, to making oneself into an ever more authentic journalist.”
The strong libertarian emphasis on press freedom that was manifest to varying degrees in America’s history from its revolutionary years was de-emphasized somewhat from the 1940s through the 1980s as many media critics and journalists themselves embraced social responsibility with its emphasis on public service. This transformation did not come without opposition or concern. Merrill warned in “The Imperative of Freedom” in 1974 about the weakening of journalistic freedom that could result in a move away from libertarian press freedom to social responsibility when he wrote that “(a)ny power to make the press ‘responsible’ or ‘accountable’ is the negation of liberty; if society, or a press council, or a judge, or a jury, or any other non-journalistic group assumes the power to define for the press what ‘responsible’ journalism is, then liberty is surrendered. It is just that simple.” And J. Herbert Altschull pointed out in “From Milton to McLuhan – The Ideas Behind American Journalism” that journalists can only be responsible if they have freedom: “You must be free to make the choice. If your choice is not free, if you are forced to act under threat, you are not responsible for your behavior. The one doing the threatening is responsible.” By the 1980s, however, the move toward social responsibility even drew Merrill aboard. In his 1989 book “The Dialectic in Journalism,” Merrill moves toward a moderated view of press freedom when he writes: “So we can see that the thesis (freedom) is presently being attacked by the antithesis (social control). From this dialectical cauldron is emerging a synthesis of social responsibility – a moderated and socially concerned use of journalistic freedom.”
Malcolm MacLean, head of the journalism department at the University of Iowa from 1967-1972, wrote passionately about the need to emphasize social responsibility in journalism education. In his lecture “On the Education of Responsible Newsmen” presented in 1968, MacLean said: “I see an implied demand that our communicators need to know deeply, emphatically, and at the same time to be able to analyze objectively and communicate what it means to be poor among the rich, to be hungry among the well-fed, to be black among the white, to be degraded among the smug, to be sick among the healthy, to be unheard, unheard, unheard…in a society noisy with messages.” He defined what it meant to be a responsible journalist as “knowledge of sensitivity to the consequences of your decisions, of your actions or inactions.” In his lecture “Journalism Education at the University of Iowa,” presented in 1970, MacLean said that journalism educators must go beyond teaching fundamental skills and emphasize to their students the need to serve the public. MacLean writes: “Suppose that I, as a journalism teacher, ask myself: What am I for? If I close in on that question at one level, I might answer: I am for teaching young people to do the things that journalists do. In a sense, I make myself an agent for the journalistic industries and for the young people who want to become journalists…If I approach that question from another level, I might answer: I am for helping people to discover and fulfill the information needs of their communities. Thus, I make myself an agent for members of the larger society.” MacLean said in his lecture that if the media met the needs of their communities, then his teaching students to acquire basic journalism skills and approaches would be adequate. He claimed, however, that media were failing to fulfill that need. In his “Position Paper for the Ad Hoc Committee on Media Evaluation,” MacLean identified what he believed journalism students should be taught. “I suggest,” MacLean writes, “we journalism teachers might reach our greatest impact by developing our journalism schools to make heretical, subversive infiltrators of our graduates. What might be the nature of such a heretic? For one thing, he is at least as competent as our graduates of today in basic communicative skills…That means he can write well and appropriately. He can use a camera effectively, produce pictures which say something. He can film and knows how to handle video and audio tape and other tools of broadcasting. And he knows how to put these together in packages which make a real difference to his intended audience. Our heretic is deeply concerned about the human condition. He cares about the consequences of his work – not just the immediate results, but especially the long run. He has high purpose…Our heretic has courage, patience, and, in battle, a tough skin. He knows that any basic change makes waves.” MacLean, while a liberal and advocate of social change, was not a revolutionary, as he demonstrated in his description of the “heretic” journalist he hoped to prepare. “If he is a good infiltrator,” MacLean writes, “he won’t need to overthrow the establishment. Rather, he’ll help to make it an establishment that works. In some communities, he may find that the only way to fill the communicative needs of a community is to create his own enterprise. Our heretic gains the initiative, drive, and skills to do that.” Of course, almost 40 years after MacLean urged journalism educators to prepare “subversive heretics,” we are witnessing young people creating their own enterprises now, with the millions of blogs that are sprouting up and drawing in some cases more hits on the Internet than that of local news media Web sites.
Many college students are attracted to journalism because they see it as an occupation that offers the possibility of making a difference through public service. Malcolm MacLean’s father, Malcolm MacLean Sr., encourages educators to nurture that spirit in all students when he writes: “(T)here emerges gradually in most normal young people of high school and college age an urge toward idealism and altruism. Hurt or made doubtful by what they see around them, they dream of a better world and develop a desire to reform, improve, and change the life of humanity from what it is to something far better. If this idealism and altruism are supported by their teachers, it may lead to personal and social growth toward sound democratic citizenship.” Journalism students who made a profound difference include John McGauley, a former news editor with Ball State University’s student newspaper in 1989-1990, who exposed serious problems in a science building’s ventilation system. Although Ball State administrators had for years downplayed the dangers from chemical fumes in the building, they eventually agreed to fix the problem with a repair job that cost more than $1 million after McGauley’s stories revealed the threats to public health. Northwestern University journalism students assisted a professor in proving the innocence of several men on death row in 1996. And at Riverside Community College in California, student journalist Mary Shelton, who won a national story of the year award in 2003, reported about toxic conditions in the college’s poorly maintained buildings. Shelton, in a particularly candid editorial with the headline “Is there a fungus among us?” writes: “And the Quadrangle is a perfect place for these molds to call home, just as it was for the Norway rats, the mice, opossums and skunks that paved the way, with their rotting carcasses and piles of fecal matter that provided nourishment for the organisms to survive and prosper” (quite descriptive!). Shelton said the silver lining of studying in such a filthy, unsafe building was the opportunity to learn from reporting about the problems while trying to make a difference. “It's the power of the press in action,” she said, “to perform public service, which is what journalism is all about.”
Students learn best when they have the freedom to follow their own conscience, discover what works for them and find their own voice. For example, Tim Guy, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper at Riverside Community College, said he and his fellow student journalists benefited in 2004 by having the freedom to take responsibility for their work when they produced a national Pacemaker newspaper. Guy said: “It helped knowing that the staff and I did not have various people watching our every move to make sure it was appropriate, being able to decide for ourselves what was best to be in the paper.” Kevin Pearson, winner of a national first place story of the year award in 2000 at Riverside Community College, demonstrated the kind of bold approach to journalism that Merrill advocated in his call for journalistic autonomy. Pearson said: “We didn't sugar-coat the news, as too many college papers often do, and we reported what we saw, what we knew, and did so with our journalistic integrity in mind.” And Agnes Diggs exercised both freedom and responsibility in her student journalism when she exposed problems at Long Beach City College with nonexistent classes and at Chapman University with a football eligibility scandal. Diggs said: “Knowing I have the protection of the U.S. Constitution and being aware of the attendant responsibility makes me more tenacious and more careful when reporting and writing.”
Student journalists learn not only from their successes in serving the public, but from their mistakes as well. Although a university professor thought a student was intentionally using a clever technique to get the point across that funding for education was inadequate, the truth is that when the student misspelled the word “Education” in a headline it was a mistake – a particularly embarrassing one. And when a student journalist wrote a photo caption that read “Unveiling the plague” -- under a photo of a plaque unveiling ceremony in honor of a private college president with a giant ego -- he learned a valuable lesson about the need to double check cutlines before publication. But in nearly every case, students learn from their mistakes. “Everyone is going to make mistakes,” Shelton said, “because even though you are taught to be conscientious and meticulous about your work, some lessons only stick if you learn them the hard way…I still make the occasional mistake and deal with it honestly because that's the only acceptable way to handle it.” I learned that lesson as an undergraduate after I complained in a student newspaper editorial about a scholar in his speech using words I assumed many fellow students would not understand. A professor met with me later, and after he patiently explained my mistake he calmly and respectfully requested a correction; when I agreed to publish one he immediately withdrew the request, saying that he just wanted to make sure that I understood that I had made a mistake in my story. His example of how to disagree with a student journalist by turning a private meeting into an effective teaching moment should serve as an example for everyone in academia of how to constructively help student journalists learn from their mistakes. Soon after my meeting with the professor, Garrett Sheldon, we became good friends. After I recommended him, he received the Professor of the Year Award for the state of Virginia.
Another effective method of helping student journalists learn from their mistakes – and their successes – is with a thorough but respectfully delivered student media critique session, given either by a professional journalist or the faculty adviser. Students’ successes should be pointed out first and they should receive the most attention during the critique. In his 1956 book “Change and Process in Education,” Malcolm MacLean Sr. notes that effective teachers recognize that “praise and reward – for even small accomplishments – must exceed blame.” As long as critiques do not go beyond constructive criticism, then instead of chilling expression they have the potential to help students learn from their mistakes. MacLean Sr. points out the benefit of criticism that is not too harsh: “Psychological research demonstrated that mild frustration stimulates learning and contributes to the growth of personality.” The goal is to help students develop their own inner guide. “The democratic ideal we struggle to achieve,” MacLean Sr. writes, “is that each of us shall attain a state of self-discipline and maturity so that we have the power to make the right choices among alternative ways of behaving.”
One of the institutions college students want to improve is that of the media. They know that so much of the media today treat the news as if it were what Neil Postman decried in the 1980s as entertainment designed to leave us “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” While hundreds of millions of people in the wealthier nations know extensive details of Britney Spears’ love life and Bill Clinton’s infidelities, far fewer are aware of the complexities of global warming or species extinction or widespread poverty – or that these problems are largely human-caused. A related global crisis, reported by the World Wildlife Fund in its Living Planet Report for 2004, is that humans are consuming natural resources 20 percent faster than the planet can produce them; few Americans know that the United States, with 5 percent of the world’s population consumes more than 20 percent of the world’s resources. These problems demand urgent action, as time is running out to reverse the effects of pollution and overuse of the planet’s resources. If there is to be hope for humanity and even a small fraction of the planet’s other species to thrive in a healthy environment, then there must be a substantial change in focus by the media that can in part be initiated by journalism educators preparing students to understand that with freedom comes the responsibility to put the spotlight of the media on the significant threats and opportunities facing humankind. These journalism educators can find inspiration in MacLean’s writings and in Merrill’s 2001 book, “Twilight of Press Freedom,” in which he looks to the future of journalism: “The press in the 21st century will have reached the point where it recognizes that its basic role is to serve the public.”
References
Altschull, J. H. (1990). From Milton to McLuhan: The Ideas Behind American Journalism. New York: Longman.
Campbell, Roth. (2005, March 23). Minnesota university system's policy–prohibiting officials from intervening in newspaper content–shielded school. Student Press Law Center.
Diggs, A. (2005, January 25). (Interview).
Gitlow v. People of State of New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925).
Guy, T. (2005, January 8). (Interview).
Hosty v. Carter, 7th Cir. (2005).
Jefferson, T. (1787, January 16). Letter to Edward Carrington. Papers 11:48-49.
Living Planet Report. (2004). World Wildlife Fund.
MacLean, M. S. Sr. & Lee, E. A. (1956). Change and Process in Education. New York: Dryden.
MacLean, M. S. (1967). “Position Paper for the Ad Hoc Committee on Media Evaluation.” Prepared for the Association for Education in Journalism, University of Iowa School of Journalism.
MacLean, M. S. (1968, May 8-11). “On the Education of Responsible Newsmen.” 23rd Annual Conference, American Association for Public Opinion Research, Santa Barbara, California.
MacLean, M. S. (1970, April). “Journalism Education at the University of Iowa.” Presentation to alumni of the University of Iowa School of Journalism, New York City.
McGauley, J. (1989, October 31). Ventilation problems more severe than those at IU. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1989, November 1). Ventilation fumes in Cooper possibly carcinogenic. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1989, November 7). Officials unsure of chemical impact on health. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
McGauley, J. (1990, January 29). Funding OK’d for Cooper, parking garage repairs. The Ball State Daily News, p.1.
Merrill, J. C. (1974). The Imperative of Freedom. New York: Hastings House.
Merrill, J. C. (1977). Existential Journalism. New York: Hastings House.
Merrill, J. C. (1989). The Dialectic in Journalism. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
Merrill, J. C. (2001). Twilight of Press Freedom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Mill, J. S. (1859). On Liberty. Indianapolis: ITT Bobbs-Merrill.
Milliner v. Turner, 436 So. 2d 1300 La. App. (1983).
New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964).
Pearson, K. (2005, January 14). (Interview).
Protess, D. & Warden, R. (1998). A Promise of Justice. New York: Hyperion.
Postman, N. (1985). Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin.
Shelton, M. (2001, November 21). Is there a fungus among us? Viewpoints, p.6.
Shelton, M. (2005, January 22). (Interview).
Trujillo v. Love, 322 F. Supp. 1266. D. Colo. (1971).
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19. (1948). The United Nations.
*Thanks to state Senator Yee, college student journalists in California are now free from prior restraint. AB 2581, the California law that protects college students' press freedom, took effect January 1, 2007:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2551-2600/ab_2581_bill_20060828_chaptered.pdf
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2551-2600/ab_2581_bill_20060828_chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 2581 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 158
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 28, 2006
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 28, 2006
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 10, 2006
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 11, 2006
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 27, 2006
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Yee and Nation
FEBRUARY 24, 2006
An act to amend Section 66301 of the Education Code, relating to
postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2581, Yee Postsecondary education: student conduct.
Existing law prohibits the Regents of the University of
California, upon their adoption of a specified resolution, and the
Trustees of the California State University and the governing board
of a community college district, from making or enforcing any rule
subjecting a student to disciplinary sanction solely on the basis of
conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged in
outside a campus is protected from governmental restriction by
specified provisions of the California Constitution or the United
States Constitution. Existing law provides that nothing in this
provision shall be construed to authorize any prior restraint of
student speech.
This bill would additionally prohibit any administrator of any
campus of those institutions from making or enforcing any rule
subjecting a student to disciplinary sanction solely on the basis of
conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged in
outside a campus, is protected from governmental restriction by
specified provisions of the California Constitution or the United
States Constitution. The bill would also prohibit its provisions from
being construed to authorize any prior restraint of the student
press.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 66301 of the Education Code is amended to read:
66301. (a) Neither the Regents of the University of California,
the Trustees of the California State University, the governing board
of any community college district, nor any administrator of any
campus of those institutions, shall make or enforce any rule
subjecting any student to disciplinary sanction solely on the basis
of conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged
in outside a campus of those institutions, is protected from
governmental restriction by the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution or Section 2 of Article 1 of the California
Constitution.
(b) Any student enrolled in an institution, as specified in
subdivision (a), that has made or enforced any rule in violation of
subdivision (a) may commence a civil action to obtain appropriate
injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by the court. Upon a
motion, a court may award attorney's fees to a prevailing plaintiff
in a civil action pursuant to this section.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any
prior restraint of student speech or the student press.
(d) Nothing in this section prohibits the imposition of discipline
for harassment, threats, or intimidation, unless constitutionally
protected.
(e) Nothing in this section prohibits an institution from adopting
rules and regulations that are designed to prevent hate violence, as
defined in subdivision (a) of Section 4 of Chapter 1363 of the
Statutes of 1992, from being directed at students in a manner that
denies them their full participation in the educational process, if
the rules and regulations conform to standards established by the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 2 of
Article 1 of the California Constitution for citizens generally.
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