Student OrgsThe Gustavian Weekly

The College holds the copyright to the names and products of student media publications and broadcasts, and reserves the right to restrict advertising content. Nevertheless, the College affirms that recognized Student Media Organizations will be free of editorial control by the College and insists that student editors and managers be allowed to meet their responsibilities to the student body. Student editors and managers shall be free to develop their own policies concerning news and opinion consistent with ethical practices of journalism, in conformity with laws pertaining to libel, slander, obscenity, copyright and privacy, and on the basis of sound and responsible financial practices. Among the aforementioned ethical practices are: the avoidance of undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, harassment and innuendo; attributed editorial material and features; a clear distinction between news and opinions; a sense of responsibility to obvious readership and listenership; sensitivity to accepted community standards of decency and good taste; and an attempt to encourage and balance various points of view.Recognizing that the above guides them, any Student Media Organization may distribute or broadcast material on campus without prior approval. Such material or broadcast shall be dated and designate the author(s).
Each student publication and any “opinion” program broadcast by electronic media should contain or make a disclaimer stating explicitly that “The opinions here expressed are not necessarily those of the College, its faculty or staff, or student body.”
Students have the right to report and editorialize on events, ideas and issues of the College, community, nation, world, even though they may be unpopular or controversial.
The student editors-in-chief or station managers make all final decisions concerning the substantive content of publications or broadcast programs.
Editors-in-chief and managers of recognized Student Media Organizations shall be protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or commitment.
The standards to be employed in the evaluation of a student medium and its staff shall be developed by the individual media organization with the advice of the organization’s advisor. Recognized Student Media Organizations are independent, self-perpetuating, democratically selected bodies with membership open to any qualified member of the student body without improper discrimination, prejudice, or unreasonable restriction.
Editors and managers may be subject to removal only for proper and stated causes.
It should be clearly understood from the foregoing that Student Media Organizations are not operated or controlled by the College, that student editors/managers are not employees or agents of the College, and that the actions of student editors/managers are not acts of the College.
Each College Student Media Organization (print or broadcast) should have a qualified advisor. Advisors guide and advise students, but do not assume content decisions or financial deficits or losses incurred by student media.