Legal Advice
Undertaking any form of journalism has its risks. Many of those risks are legal, an obvious concern for teachers who find themselves as editors, publishers and advisers of student publications. NESPA aims to offer guidance to those elementary journalism teachers, advisers and students looking for answers to their legal questions. The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) said the center’s hotline so rarely receives calls concerning legal issues on the elementary level that specific guidelines for the age-level don’t exist. They do, however, point to a valuable resource for advisers and students alike: the SPLC FAQ pages. Students or teachers can search through frequently asked questions on a variety of specific topics, with additional resources and contact/comment options available on the site. Advisers can also schedule a phone call with SPLC’s legal counsel or complete the center’s legal request form online for additional assistance.
