The College Campus Press Act, a law that allows college journalists to write independently without administrative intervention, will go into effect in Illinois June 1, 2008, said state Senator Susan Garrett, D-Ill.
According to the act, unanimously passed by the Illinois General Assembly, an adviser of campus media cannot be penalized for allowing students to exercise their right to publish freely. The act also states that campus media at a state-sponsored institution could not be analyzed by an official before publication.
Garrett said she introduced the bill on Feb. 8, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich made it a law on Aug. 31.
Matt Jackson, head of the Penn State telecommunications department, said to introduce a bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature, it would first have to be drafted and reviewed by a committee. He added that a federal law regarding censorship would be unlikely.
Jackson said most media outside the university does not submit to previous approval or punishment for unfit material after publication.
"Except in extremely rare circumstances, the government cannot censor or issue what's called a prior restraint," he said.
Garrett said the bill was drafted after instances of censorship occurred in Illinois and around the United States.
"[The students] need to have their independence from state-run university administration," she said.
Amanda Walsh, managing editor of the Northern Star at Northern Illinois University (NIU), said in her experience, the Star has not been censored because it is run independently of the university. The act does, however, clarify the Star's rights and relieves its adviser, a NIU employee, from any repercussions from the university.
"Administrators can't throw their weight around," Walsh said, adding that under the new law, the Star's adviser has no control over what it prints and cannot lose his job.
State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, said if an occasion arose where censorship of campus media occurred within Pennsylvania, there would be a need for a similar bill to Illinois' to remedy the problem.
"Clearly, censorship is not something I would be supportive of," he said.
Annemarie Mountz, Penn State spokeswoman, said censorship does not occur within the university.
"We value the First Amendment here," she said.
Gavin Keirans, executive director of Safeguard Old State and a DJ at WKPS-FM (90.7), was encouraged by the passing of the Illinois law.
"I definitely think [the act] is a positive step forward in legitimizing college media," he said.
Keirans said no administrative oversight would make for better writers or help to promote media on campus.
"Let's face it," he said. "[The media] can be quite powerful."
