QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 7079)
RA 7079 is the “Campus Journalism Act of 1991.” It declares State policy to uphold and protect freedom of the press at the campus level and to promote campus journalism to strengthen ethical values, encourage critical/creative thinking, and develop moral character and personal discipline of Filipino youth.
A “School” is an institution for learning in the elementary, secondary, or tertiary level, comprising the studentry, administration, faculty, and non-faculty personnel.
A “Student Publication” is any issue of printed material independently published by and meeting the needs and interests of the studentry. A “Student Journalist” is any bona fide student enrolled for the current semester/term who meets the qualifications and standards of the editorial board and maintains satisfactory academic standing.
(a) Tertiary: editorial board composed of student journalists who qualified in placement examinations; publication adviser may be included at the option of its members. (b) Elementary and high school: editorial board composed of a duly appointed faculty adviser, the editor who qualified, and a representative of the Parents-Teachers’ Association.
“Editorial Policies” are guidelines by which a student publication is operated and managed, considering pertinent laws and school administration policies, including matters like frequency of publication and manner of selecting articles and features.
A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected by fair and competitive examinations. Once established, its editorial board freely determines editorial policies and manages the publication’s funds.
Funding may include the savings of the respective school’s appropriations, student subscriptions, donations, and other sources of funds.
They shall not withhold the release of funds sourced from the savings of school appropriations and other sources intended for the student publication. Subscription fees collected by the school administration must be released automatically to the student publication concerned.
The publication adviser is selected by the school administration from a list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The adviser’s function is limited to technical guidance.
A member of the publication staff must maintain student status to retain membership. A student shall not be expelled or suspended solely on the basis of articles written or based on performance of duties in the student publication.
Yes. Under Section 7, a student cannot be expelled or suspended solely on the basis of the articles they wrote or solely due to performance of their duties in the student publication, provided the student maintains the required status/standing for membership.
It must sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences, and training seminars where student-editors/writers and teacher-advisers of student publications in elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels participate.
Activities are held at institutional, divisional, and regional levels, culminating with the annual national elementary, secondary, or tertiary School Press Conference in places of historical and/or cultural interest.
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, in coordination with officers of national elementary, secondary, or tertiary organizations or official advisers of student publications, with student journalists at the tertiary level and existing organizations of student journalists.
Under Section 10, all grants, endowments, donations, or contributions used actually, directly, and exclusively for the promotion of campus journalism are exempt from donor’s or gift tax (pursuant to the Constitution).
The initial year authorized amount is P5,000,000.00, charged against savings from the current appropriations of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
After fifteen (15) days following completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.