Facing takedown demands: Free Speech Week
A recent article by the Poynter Institute’s Rick Edmonds brings to light free speech choices journalists sometimes have to make.
At issue are Takedown Demands. Scholastic media are not – and will not be – exempt from challenges raised by them.
Free Speech Week is a good time to check out the topic and formalize your student media’s approach to preventing issues such demands can create.
Instead of one way to react to Takedown Demands, we offer choices to help students make informed choices. In all situations, we recommend the SPLC’s existing work on the subject. We also hope these guidelines will offer a roadmap if your students face takedown decisions.
In addition, we also offer series of guideposts to evaluate information before it is posted: A Put Up policy that might prevent hard choices later.
Our guidelines look at legal demands, ethical considerations and possible reactions