This report of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly begins with a recommendation adopted in 1977 regarding freedom of expression and the role of writers in Europe. An explanatory memorandum is then given that covers the following topics: the overall cultural situation, the specific situation of European writers, freedom and social…

A recent court decision banned locally-owned newspaper/broadcasting combinations, or cross-ownership, and ordered divestiture to protect the public interest according to the First Amendment. However, these rulings promoting cross-ownership divestiture merit questioning for several reasons. First, evidence reveals that locally-owned television…

This monograph examines the extent to which Lord Northcliffe, generally conceded to be the dominant force in the popularization of journalism in Britain and what was once the British Empire, influenced or was influenced by American developments in journalism. The first section, entitled "The Legacy," briefly reviews the popular press in…

This paper discusses the equal time law: Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934. Section 315 is the major legislation governing the use of the broadcasting media in the area of politics. The underlying philosophy of the law is that people have a right to a full and complete disclosure of conflicting views of news of interest. The essence of…

This agreement is entered into by and between the Board of Trustees of State Colleges of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Lowell State College Faculty Federation, AFT Local 2174, AFL-CIO, as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for faculty members in the bargaining unit. Articles of the agreement cover: recognition and definitions,…

The Freedom of Speech Newsletter is the communication medium for the Freedom of Speech Interest Group of the Western Speech Communication Association. The newsletter contains such features as a statement of concern by the National Ad Hoc Committee Against Censorship; Reticence and Free Speech, an article by James F. Vickrey discussing the subtle…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current status of freedom of the press with regard to past and present judicial rulings. A section devoted to "The Background of Prior Restraint" examines the historical basis for current legal decisions. In "Threatening Progeny," court decisions unfriendly to the press such as the…

This report describes a study that examined the process of educational reform and sought to determine how and why internal changes occur in the evolution of an educational program. The author studied the progress of four educational reforms in the Brunswick-Freeport area of midcoast Maine, including the introduction of significant changes in the…

Unlike most of the regulatory constraints which have impact on the media, libel, slander, and invasion of privacy are common law concepts developed from the precedents of previous court decisions and from reasoning employed in the written judicial opinions of appellate courts. Since common law is thus both traditional in nature and subject to…

This paper is a personalized account of one high school journalism faculty advisor's dismissal from her teaching position because she allowed students to publish a series on sex related problems in the high school newspaper. Following a background statement about the case now pending in court, the events leading up to the firing of the teacher are…

This pamphlet presents a statement of principles by the American Civil Liberties Union concerning the civil liberties and obligations of teachers and desirable procedures involving academic freedom in public and private colleges and universities. Academic freedom and responsibility of teachers embraces two distinct areas: (1) the conduct of a…

A June 21, 1973, Supreme Court ruling yielded jurisdiction in matters of obscenity to individual communities and the decision as to what is prurient to"contemporary community standards." This ruling leaves the courts in the powerful position of surgeon, judge, film critic, and arbiter of community taste. An analysis of past court cases…

Universities have responded to disruptive disturbances and to the underlying student unrest in various ways. Internal disciplinary actions, the use of police or national guard, the use of court injunctions and criminal prosecutions have been used by various institutions at different times. The purpose of this report is to develop principles and…

The colloquium on issues in university governance was organized to identify and define major governmental issues facing US colleges and universities and, following an interdisciplinary analysis of the issues, to propose solutions or to determine next steps to be taken. Explanations that emerged as to why the governance of academic institutions has…

Most observers of today's academic scene would concede that the faculty is the power center of U.S. higher education. They decide what is taught, how it is taught, and who is taught. They also exert influence on institutional policies concerning size and selectivity, and determine their own permanent membership through recommendations on promotion…