Student Media Policies

21. Equipment Use Checkout Policy

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Student Media Equipment Checkout Policy

I, the undersigned, agree to be bound by all stipulations listed below for checking out equipment that is the property of Richland College student media:

I will return the equipment to student media in full working order by the time listed on the sign-out sheet.
I will not take the equipment anywhere other than where my assignment requires me to go.
I will follow all directions regarding use of the equipment.
I agree to pay the full cost of repair or replacement of any piece of equipment that gets broken, stolen or misplaced during the time that I have it checked out in my name.
I agree that I will not transfer the equipment to another student; instead, I will return the equipment to the instructional associate, instructional specialist or adviser and direct the other student to check equipment out through them.
I agree that I will not leave any equipment in a motor vehicle for any length of time.
I understand that if the equipment is not returned by the time listed on the sign-out sheet, the Richland Police Department will be contacted for arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
I understand that I must make prior arrangements to check out equipment and that if I fail to do so, the equipment that I may need for a class or student media assignment may be checked out by another student and may not be available.
I agree that I will not use student media equipment for personal projects that do not pertain to student media activities or assignments or approved journalism department assignments.

20. Staff Code of Conduct

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Every Richland College student who wishes to contribute to student media must abide by the following provisions. Joining student media implies acceptance of, and agreement to abide by, these provisions. Violating any of these provisions is grounds of immedia termination from student media.

1.0 I affirm that when working in or around the Richland Chronicle and/or decoy facilities, or when engaging in any business related to student media, I will conduct myself in a professional and mature manner.

2.0 I affirm that I will not misuse any student publications equipment and agree to obey all directions regarding use of student publications equipment.

3.0 I affirm that I will not use equipment for personal or non-publication-related purposes, to include homework for classes other than publications classes.

4.0 I affirm that I will not use foul language in the student publications facilities and that my conduct will remain professional and non-argumentative.

5.0 I affirm that all disputes with other staff members will be handled in private.

6.0 I affirm that I will not conduct any student publications business or use any student publications equipment or facilities if I am under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

7.0 I understand that if I am suspected or found to be violating any college, district, local, state or federal law while conducting any student publications business or using any student publications equipment or facilities I may be turned over to law enforcement officials for investigation and possible prosecution.

8.0 I understand that if I violate any rules outlined within this policy manual or staff code of conduct or any rules imposed by an editor, the faculty adviser or instructional specialist (via verbal or written decree), I may be asked to leave the premises. I also understand that if I refuse to comply with a request to leave the premises, the Dean of Student Support Services and/or the College Police may be called to escort me from the premises.

9.0 I understand that any grievances must be documented formally through established procedures.

10.0 I agree that whenever I am acting in a capacity of a reporter or editor and am asking questions of a news figure in person or on the telephone, upon contact with that person I immediately will identify and introduce myself as a reporter or editor of the specific publication.

11.0 I, the undersigned, acknowledge that I completely understand that the editor-in-chief of the Richland Chronicle (or decoy magazine) has the sole ultimate authority over whether or not a story, photo or other submission is published in the print or web editions of the Richland Chronicle (or decoy magazine). I understand that the KDUX Web Radio station manager has the sole ultimate authority over whether or not a story, song or production is broadcast on KDUX Web Radio. I also understand that only the editor-in-chief or station manager may change my status as a contributor and/or staff member.

12.0 I understand that the faculty adviser / journalism department director, journalism faculty, instructional specialist and writing coaches have no authority to publish/broadcast or not publish/broadcast any submission whatsoever, or to influence the editor-in-chief to choose to publish or not publish any submission. I understand that no Richland College employee or faculty member has this authority, either.

13.0 I understand that the faculty adviser / journalism department director, journalism faculty, instructional specialist and writing coaches have no authority to designate or change my status as a contributor, staff member, assistant editor/senior staff member or editor. I understand that no Richland College employee or faculty member has this authority, either.

14.0 I understand that if I fail to sign this form, I will not be allowed to participate in student media in any way, shape or form until I do sign and date the form and turn it in to the editor-in-chief. I understand that “participation” includes receiving or submitting assignments, using any and all student media facilities and equipment and attending meetings.

19. Roles of Student Media professional staff

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The adviser’s role is simply that, an adviser. The adviser’s primary function is to provide guidance and advice to students who run the media outlet and make the decisions. As program director, the adviser also hires and supervises the Instructional Associate/Specialist, journalism faculty and writing coaches.

He/she advises and gives guidance in teaching students to make decisions based on their best possible judgment. The adviser also defends and observes the right of the staff to make final decisions.

The adviser to student publications, therefore, must facilitate learning by educating students, administrators, colleagues and the community that the student publication serves.

The adviser is not a censor. No teacher who advises a student publication will be fired, transferred or removed from the advisership by reason of his or her refusal to exercise editorial control over the student publication or to otherwise suppress the protected free expression of student journalists.

The instructional associate/specialist is responsible for maintaining the Macintosh computers for student use. Accordingly, computers must be operated under his/her guidelines and directions to ensure proper and optimal operation and function. He/she instructs students on matters relating to computer operation and the technical aspects of word processing, desktop publishing, web design and photo imaging.

He/she manages the student publications budget. Accordingly, he/she is responsible for generating all necessary paperwork regarding purchase orders, etc., and ensuring coordination with all vendors, such as the off-site printer. Also, he/she oversees the financial aspects of the advertising department and receives any and all advertising revenues and deposits them into the proper account(s).

He/she is responsible for arranging travel to state and national conventions within the guidelines of the student publications budget.

The instructional associate/specialist reports directly and solely to the faculty adviser.

The writing coach is employed to provide assistance to any and all Richland Chronicle reporters who are writing stories. Writing coaches edit for clarity, style, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Their role is solely instructional. They do not edit for content.

Writing coaches are responsible for setting and maintaining schedules of their availability for editing students’ copy. They are discouraged from adjusting their hours to edit copy that is late.

Reporters and contributing writers are required to have their stories edited by a writing coach. Section editors are most strongly encouraged not to publish copy that has not been edited by a writing coach. The adviser and instructional associate/specialist cannot require that all copy is edited by a writing coach; only the editor-in-chief can implement and enforce a policy of requiring edits with a writing coach prior to publication.

18. Online publication of decoy

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As editors of the Richland Chronicle newspaper and decoy humor magazine, we have followed self-imposed guidelines to this point to govern our print publication. With the imminent publishing of our publications on the World Wide Web, we hereby establish the following guidelines for web publication. The editors of this and future student publications at Richland College are solely responsible for enforcing these guidelines.

decoy is protected under the First Amendment of the United States of America and is privy to the right of freedom of the press. By establishing these guidelines, we are in no way surrendering our guaranteed rights to freedom of the press and freedom of speech. These guidelines have been developed because we have a responsibility to the Internet public and our community to publish material that is appropriate for its intended audience. However, decoy has been and can continue to be a vehicle to contribute to serious discussion of controversial subjects, and many articles have substantial value to add to the Internet dialogue on these subjects, and therefore should be available online. As Richland College student publications begin to publish on the Internet, it is necessary that guidelines concerning web publication be established for the humor magazine, decoy.

Because the Richland College web site is geared to a general audience, not the college/adult audience decoy targets in print, there is certain content that is not appropriate for Internet publication.

As students currently overseeing the publication of the Richland Chronicle, decoy and the Digital Chronicle, we have developed, and will be the only agents of enforcement of, the following self-governing guidelines for determining what content will and will not be published online:

Stories promoting the use of alcohol or illegal drugs will not be published on the decoy web site.

Stories that are sexually explicit will not be published in the decoy web site.

Short “tirade” articles (such as Rants and Raves), stories that advocate or allude to threats of inflicting bodily harm or threaten public safety, and fake classified ads are also prohibited in the decoy web site as we often take literary license with these sections in the print edition.

Stories that are fake and concocted for the entertainment value of the reader in the print edition are prohibited from the decoy web site, as they might be misleading.

Curse words are not allowed in the print version of decoy and henceforth are not allowed in the online version. The students who produce decoy follow the same policy as The Dallas Morning News does concerning obscenities: (“Obscenities offend many readers and often divert attention from the story,” The Dallas Morning News Stylebook.)

Pictures and or graphics that are considered adult in nature or content are also prohibited.

The editor-in-chief of the Richland Chronicle, the editor of the Digital Chronicle and the editors of decoy will work together closely to select decoy stories appropriate for Internet publication. They alone will be held responsible for the content of the decoy web site.

17. Copyright (Chronicle)

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The copyright to all photographs and stories published in the Richland Chronicle and decoy print and web publications belongs solely to the Richland Chronicle and/or decoy.

The copyright to all photographs, designs and stories developed using Richland Chronicle resources (including but not limited to film, paper, computers, paid student assistant hours, technology) belong solely to the Richland Chronicle.

As Richland Chronicle budget funds are used to pay for technology, supplies and student assistant hours, all images produced and/or stored on Richland Chronicle-owned cameras, film, negatives, floppy disks, zip disks and hard drives, etc. are property of the Richland Chronicle. All stories written and/or stored on Richland Chronicle computers, floppy disks, zip disks and hard drives, etc., are property of the Richland Chronicle. All notes taken by Richland Chronicle staff members for possible Richland Chronicle stories are property of the Richland Chronicle.

The purpose of this policy is to reduce potential liability of paid and unpaid Chronicle staff. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of the press. There is legal precedent protecting the press in general and college press in particular from subpoena of notes, photographs, stories, etc. There is no legal precedent or DCCCD-sponsored legal counsel retained for the protection of the individual student from subpoena of notes, photographs, stories, etc. to which he/she owns the copyright.

In the event that another publication (newspaper, etc.) or individual party wishes to purchase a Richland Chronicle story or image for their own use, the faculty adviser must be consulted. The Richland Chronicle is not in any way opposed to any member of its staff deriving income from Richland Chronicle-related work that another newspaper or magazine wishes to publish. However, due to the many legal issues involved, the faculty adviser must always be consulted.

As the official student newspaper of Richland College, we retain legal counsel from the DCCCD attorneys. Individual students, however, if they hold copyright on photos, stories, notes, etc., surrender that legal counsel and would be responsible for their own legal representation in a court of law.

If a photographer wishes to retain copyright on photos that he or she takes, then he or she must use his or her own film and pay for all processing fees for that film. Student Publications assumes no responsibility for any legal ramifications associated with any photographs for which it does not own the copyright.

NEVER TURN OVER ANY NOTES, PHOTOGRPAHS, IMAGES, GRAPHICS, STORIES, ETC. TO A THIRD PARTY FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE ADVISER. THE COPYRIGHT TO ALL PHOTOS, NEGATIVES, IMAGES, NOTES, AND STORIES, ETC. ARE OWNED SOLELY BY THE RICHLAND CHRONICLE.

16. Letters to the Editor Policy Statement (Chronicle)

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The Richland Chronicle accepts letters addressed to the editor so as to reflect as many points of view as possible. We prefer letters to be word-processed and submitted on paper, but will accept letters via e-mail. E-mailed letters are held to the same guidelines as printed letters.

• Letters have priority over columns on the viewpoints page unless columns cannot be delayed.

• Letters may be from any Richland College student, faculty member or staff member and/or members of the community at large and must be accompanied by a signature and a phone number to confirm authenticity (phone number will not be published).

• Every attempt will be made to run all letters received prior to publication deadline (one week prior to publication date); however, not all letters on one topic will be printed. Those that best represent all sides of an issue will be chosen in such cases. The Editor-in-Chief and Viewpoints Editor will make selections to comply with space limitations.

• The Richland Chronicle shall publish all letters to the editor that are not obscene or libelous and do not make racial or religious denigrations. Authors shall be given the opportunity to revise unacceptable letters. The Richland Chronicle will not publish letters as literary endeavors, publicity releases, poetry, campaign pleas, or such material as the staff deems not to be a letter. All letters are to be printed with grammatical corrections and may be edited for length. Whenever possible the letter writer should be given the opportunity to reduce the length of the letter.

• Decision to publish the letter shall not be determined by the “wrongness” or “rightness” of the letter’s viewpoint as compared to the staff view.

• If a letter is submitted “as an organization,” the organization’s president must sign it.

• Letters must be signed by the author; however, initials will be used at the author’s request.

• The Richland Chronicle recognizes its position on campus as a printed medium for expressing current student opinion. Therefore, the Richland Chronicle will not become a sounding board for any pressure group. The “letters” columns shall always be conducted in as fair and responsible a manner as possible.

• Letters dealing with individuals or any matter dealing with an individual person’s behavior must be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and adviser or staff prior to publication.

• In order to promote diversity in subject matter, the Viewpoints page will normally limit discussion of any one subject matter to three issues of the paper.

• Any letter that appears irrelevant will be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief and adviser for acceptance or rejection.

• The purpose of the editor’s note shall be to correct inaccuracies to questions or requests for information. Editor’s notes shall be brief.

16. Letters to the Editor Policy Statement (Chronicle)

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