Arlingtonian is the student-run publication produced by Journalism III-A students at Upper Arlington High School. The publication produces a print newsmagazine approximately four times each semester; the staff’s website publishes ongoing content. The publication has been established as a public forum for student expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution.
Since Arlingtonian is a forum for student expression, the editorial board, which consists of the staff’s top editors, will determine the content of the newsmagazine and all unsigned editorials; therefore, material may not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Upper Arlington school officials. The views stated in editorials represent that of a majority of the editorial board. No single member of the editorial board can be held responsible for editorial content decisions. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author.
Arlingtonian welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns and news releases from faculty, administrators, community residents, students and the general public. We ask that letters to the editor and guest columns be 300 words or less, contain the author’s name and address, and be sent to arlingtonian@uaschools.org
The Arlingtonian editorial board reserves the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if it determines the piece contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. Letters will be edited for spelling and grammar and checked for verification.
Should a letter contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors or be too long, it will be returned to the author for resubmission. Deadlines for letters and columns will be no later than two weeks before the next publication date.
As a public forum, all letters and columns meeting the above criteria will be posted in full on the Arlingtonian web site at www.arlingtonian.com for a minimum of four weeks. The editorial board may also select items to be printed in full or in part for its print issues.
The editor or co-editors of the staff chooses the voting membership of the board from that year’s top editors; however, the board must include at least one quarter of the staff, including the editor, managing editor(s), copy editor, arts editor and multimedia editor. Editorial board meetings are required for board members. Others are welcome to attend.
Online media produced by Arlingtonian are entitled to the same protections, and subject to the same freedoms and responsibilities, as media produced for print publication. As such they will not be subject to prior review or restraint.
Student journalists may use online media to report news and information, to communicate with other students and individuals, to ask questions of and consult with experts and to locate material to meet their newsgathering and research needs.
Arlingtonian and its staff are protected by and bound to the principles of the First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various court decisions implementing those principles.
Arlingtonian and its staff will strive to publish only legally protected speech following the legal definitions for libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy. The staff will also refrain from printing stories that create a material disruption of school activities. Specific definitions for the above instances of unprotected speech can be found in Law of the Student Press.
Because the Arlingtonian staff will determine content of the publication, it will therefore also take complete legal and financial responsibility for what is printed. Staff members will strive to correct any error before publication; however, if the editorial board determines a significant error is printed, a formal correction will appear in the following issue.
The adviser of Arlingtonian will not act as a censor or determine the content of the paper. The adviser will offer advice and instruction, following the code of ethics set forth for advisers by the Journalism Education Association. The adviser will help the staff cover all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists. The Canons of Professional Journalism include a code of ethics concerning accuracy, responsibility, integrity, conflict of interest, impartiality, fair play, freedom of the press, independence, sensationalism, personal privacy, obstruction of justice, credibility and advertising.
In case questions arise over specific copy as defined within this policy, the advice of a communications attorney from the Student Press Law Center is recommended.
Arlingtonian will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy.
The Arlingtonian staff raises and pays all printing and production costs through advertising sales, donations and other fund raisers.
Arlingtonian will accept all advertisements with signed contracts provided they do not advocate illegal activity for minors and are not racist, sexist, and/or otherwise in poor taste, as determined by the editorial board. In cases involving political advertising, efforts will be made to solicit all points of view. The ultimate decision for all advertising rests with the Arlingtonian editorial board.
The editor or co-editors shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.
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To submit letters to the editor or other comments to the publication staff, email Arlingtonian, submit a comment on our website, or send correspondence to:
Upper Arlington High School
Attn: Arlingtonian
1650 Ridgeview Road
Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221