About
Scholastic Press Rights Commission
Educate • Advocate • Empower
SPRC Mission statement:
• To educate school and non-school communities about how the substance and spirit of First Amendment protections support free and journalistically responsible student news media in their role in 21st century learning and civic engagement.
• To advocate for student news media that demonstrate free expression and journalistic responsibility, enhance student decision-making and protect proponents of a free student media in their pursuit of high standards of journalism.
• To empower student journalists to exercise First Amendment rights and responsibilities and engage in ethical decision making through accurate, credible, verifiable and thorough journalism. Student journalists and the communities they serve thus benefit.
• SPRC Vision statement:
JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission envisions school communities – those who participate in student media and those who do not – who understand and produce free and journalistically responsible student media that demonstrate the strength of our democratic heritage and its future.
• SPRC Values statement:
The Scholastic Press Rights commission values the First Amendment as a pillar of democracy. We commit our efforts to support educators who work with student journalists and help them engage in exemplary journalistic ethics, demonstrate critical thinking and decision-making skills and protect diverse viewpoints as they produce free and responsible news media.
To carry out the various tasks outlined on the commission duties list on a systematic basis, commission members will:
- Maintain active opposition to censorship and prior review of scholastic media;
- Keep in close contact with the Student Press Law Center and other organizations concerned with student and adviser freedom of expression;
- Monitor scholastic media legal and ethical issues, cases, positions and incidents across the country;
- Keep students, administrators and advisers regularly informed of current legal situations, opinions and trends
- Assist advisers and students who face censorship issues offering support as needed;
- Offer educational materials and activities to advisers, administrators and students through a press rights Web page and other multimedia like Facebook Twitter;
- Recommend policies, positions and actions to JEA, its members and other educational groups on scholastic media law and ethics;
- Recognize and celebrate student success achieved by practicing free expression
- Present sessions at conventions, seminars and workshops locally and nationally;
- Submit articles to professional journals on JEA’s positions on the rights and responsibilities of scholastic media
- Initiate and maintain channels of information and communication with all educational groups;
- Support, through actions and words, the free expression rights of all groups.
JOHN BOWEN – COMMISSION CHAIR
Commission members:
• Jane Blystone, MJE
Mercyhurst University
Jane.blystone@gmail.com
• Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE
Kent State University
Cbowen@kent.edu
• John Bowen, MJE
Kent State University
jabowen@kent.edu
• Audrey Wagstaff Cunningham, CJE
Hiram College (Ohio)
cunninghamae@hiram.edu
• Vince DeMiero
Mountlake Terrace High School
demierov@edmonds.wednet.edu
• Tim Dorway
Chanhassen High School, Chanhassen, MN
dorwayt@district112.org
• Mary Kay Downes MJE
Chantilly High School
Chantilly, VA
mkdownes@fcps.edu
• Mitch Eden, MJE
Kirkwood H.S.
edenmit@gmail.com
• Janet Ewell, MA, MJE
jan.ewell@verizon.net
• Carrie Faust, MJE
Smoky Hill High School
Aurora, Colorado
faust.carrie@gmail.com
• Karen Flowers, director
Scholastic Journalism Organizations
Univ. of South Carolina
mailto:flowerssk@mailbox.sc.edu
• Megan Fromm
Boise State University
megfromm@gmail.com
• Tom Gayda, MJE
North Central High School
Tgayda@msdwt.k12.in.us
• Mark Goodman
Kent State University
mailto:Mgoodm10@kent.edu
• Marina Hendricks
University of Missouri
marinahendricks@gmail.com
• Cyndy Hyatt
Conestoga High School
ccmhyatt@verizon.net
• Lori Keekley
St. Louis Park HS
keekley@gmail.com
• Jeff Kocur
Hopkins High School
jeffreykocur@gmail.com
• Janet McKinney
Retired
janetbasket@indy.rr.com
• Sarah Nichols, MJE
Whitney High School
sarahjnichols.sjn@gmail.com
• Glenn Morehouse Olson
St. Francis High School, St. Francis MN
gmorehouseolson@gmail.com
• Matthew Schott
Francis Howell Central HS
matthew.schott.28@gmail.com
• Kathy Schrier, M.Ed., MJE
Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA) Executive Director
wjeaexecutivedirector@gmail.com
• Tracy Anne Sena
Convent of the Sacred Heart HS
San Francisco, CA 94115
tracy.sena@sbcglobal.net
• Randy Swikle
retired
randyswikle@COMCAST.NET
• John Tagliareni
Bergenfield High School (Retired)
bearfacts1@aol.com
• Chris Waugaman, MJE
Prince George High School
Prince George, VA
cwaugaman@pgs.k12.va.us , clwaug@gmail.com
• Stan Zoller
MJE Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Sezoller@gmail.com
COMMMISSION WORK AREA