Four motions JEA approved affecting publications in 2006 were:

(Scroll down to find the links to the details of the motions)

• Guidelines for scholastic organizations concerning copyright and plagiarism

Judges for state, regional and national scholastic media associations saw the problem begin with the line “photo compliments of the Internet” more than 10 years ago. Since then, access to digital information has grown enormously, and the problems it creates for scholastic media have, too. To address the legal and ethical implications head on, the Journalism Education Association and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s Scholastic Journalism Division have worked together to develop this two-part approach: (1) Educating media advisers and staffs about the issues involved and (2) offering model policy guidelines for scholastic media associations to deal with these issues in contests. Read the guidelines

• Guidelines for JEA contests regarding copyright and plagiarism

Judges at recent Write-Offs report questionable entries in terms of copyright and plagiarism materials in several competitions. In order to bring JEA guidelines in line with the ones designed jointly with AEJMC’s Scholastic Journalism Division, JEA passed the following: Read the policy

• Model editorial policy guidelines to protect rights of students as well as those of the school district

Because of the current rash of school systems challenging the status of high school publications, – and because a good number of these systems are rejecting the Student Press Law Center Model Guidelines as simply coming from an advocacy group, SPLC executive director Mark Goodman thought JEA might work with the Scholastic Division of the college group, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, to prepare a set of model guidelines that come from journalism educators. Read the policy

• Recommendations for handling printing company challenges to publishing controversial materials

Because JEA members have reported instances of printing companies refusing to publish submitted materials or contacting administrators about questionable but not unlawful content without contacting advisers and students, JEA passed these recommendations at its San Francisco convention. We firmly believe, based on legal advice, that companies that simply print what they are given, without assuming editing responsibilities, are not legally liable for what they print. Because JEA also understands the complexity of the issues surrounding materials some may question as controversial, we strongly advise students and advisers with questions about content to contact the Student Press Law Center before publication. Read the policy