Policies
Some notes on libel
Libel is printed false defamation. Under no circumstances should a possibly libelous assertion appear in The Valley Star. This includes advertisements and letters to the editor. The Star is responsible for everything it publishes.
Writers can personally be liable. UC Santa Barbara student James Minow had to pay $3,000 plus interest in punitive damages to Murvin Glass, a 1975 student government presidential candidate who claimed a cartoon in the Daily Nexus, which Minow edited, had libeled him. The court ruled in favor of Glass, ordering Minow to pay $3,000 and the UC Regents, who had defended the case, to pay $15,000. The $15,000 assessment was cheaper than the cost of the appeal, so the regents decided to carry the case no further. However, their attempt to cover the assessment against Minow, was prohibited as a gift of public funds. Minow, who could not afford to pay for an appeal on his own, thus had to pay Glass.
Libel usually gets into the newspaper in the form of a direct quotation containing false defamation that has been accurately recorded and correctly attributed. Printing such a statement is the act of libel. Defamation, identification and publication are the three necessary elements for libel action.
The defenses are the fair report privilege (the libelous statement was made as part of the record of a public meeting or trial, or by a public official and was fairly and accurately reported), provable truth, fair comment (the person has put himself or herself on the stage or in the public spotlight as a performer inviting critical comment), absence of malice, and retraction.
A retraction in California can be called a “correction,” and it must be requested in writing. Printing a requested correction limits the plaintiff to collecting only special (actual, provable) damages.
We make an effort to check with a person against whom any allegation is made before we consider using a charge. The editors and faculty advisers check with the writers if any question of libel exists.
If you have any questions or believe that a libelous assertion has appeared in the Star, you can contact us here.
Student Press Rights Position
I. The Journalism Education Association upholds the right of students to exercise their freedom of expression as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, whether it be in the form of print or broadcast media.
Student journalists have the right to report on and editorialize about all topics, events or issues, including those unpopular or controversial, insofar as they affect or interest the school, community, nation and world. However, students have the same legal obligations as those imposed upon all journalists. Students must refrain from publishing or disseminating material that:
a. is obscene, according to current legal definitions;
b. is libelous, according to current legal definitions;
c. creates a clear and present danger and substantial physical disruption of the school;
d. is an invasion of privacy, according to current legal standards; and
e. advertises illegal products or services, as currently defined by legal definitions.
Student media shall not be subjected to prior restraints, review or censorship by faculty advisers, school administrators, faculty, school boards or any other individual outside the student editorial board, except as stated above, and only when these individuals can demonstrate legally defined justification. In addition, student journalists have the right to determine the content of their media.
II. Responsible exercise of freedom of expression involves adherence to the highest standards of journalism. Students also have an obligation to learn and observe the legal and ethical responsibilities expected of them as practicing journalists. JEA expects each school system having student media to provide a qualified journalism instructor/adviser to teach students to report information accurately, fairly and perceptively.
III. Student media help educate students by providing an open forum of expression for journalists and the media’s audiences, and as instruments through which students, faculty, administration and the public can gain insight into student thinking and concerns.
To make this forum and educational experiences possible, the journalism program needs to be supported by an appropriate assortment of finances, equipment and an educational philosophy.
IV. JEA recognizes that all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic level, should have equal opportunity to participate in journalism programs and that there is a need to identify and remove inequities which exist in these programs.
jea@spub.ksu.edu This page last updated March 19, 1996.
First Amendment of the United States Constitution
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
AI Content Policy
(a) We use AI to generate images, captions, and edit articles. Images are created using computer programs that make unique designs based on the article’s topic. Captions and edited articles are created using natural language processing (NLP) algorithms that analyze the content.
(b) We use AI to enhance the quality of its content and make it more engaging. AI-generated images can make articles more visually appealing and captions and edited articles can improve readability. AI also speeds up the content creation process, allowing The Valley Star to publish articles more quickly.
(c) We do not use AI to generate misleading or false information and ensures that content created by AI is appropriate and non-offensive. The Star monitors AI-generated content and makes corrections as needed.
(d) We own the intellectual property rights to the AI-generated content.
(e) If users notice errors in AI-generated content, they can report them to The Valley Star’s editorial staff, who will investigate the issue and take appropriate action.
(f) We comply with all applicable laws, including copyright and privacy laws, and laws governing AI usage.
