AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991

Declaration of Policy (Section 2):
- Uphold and protect freedom of the press at the campus level.
- Promote the development and growth of campus journalism to strengthen ethical values, encourage critical and creative thinking, and develop moral character and personal discipline of Filipino youth.
- Undertake programs and projects to improve journalistic skills and promote responsible and free journalism.

Definitions (Section 3):
- School: An institution for learning at elementary, secondary, or tertiary level.
- Student Publication: Any printed material independently published by and for the studentry.
- Student Journalist: A bona fide student who meets the editorial board's qualifications and maintains satisfactory academic standing.
- Editorial Board: At the tertiary level, composed of qualified student journalists; at elementary and high school levels, composed of a faculty adviser, editor, and PTA representative.
- Editorial Policies: Guidelines for operating and managing the student publication.

Student Publication (Section 4):
- Published by the student body through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected through fair and competitive examinations.
- The editorial board freely determines editorial policies and manages the publication's funds.

Funding of Student Publication (Section 5):
- Sources include school appropriations savings, student subscriptions, donations, and other funds.
- The Department of Education, Culture and Sports or school administration cannot withhold funds intended for the student publication.
- Subscription fees collected by the school administration shall be automatically released to the student publication.

Publication Adviser (Section 6):
- Selected by the school administration from a list recommended by the publication staff.
- The adviser's function is limited to technical guidance.

Security of Tenure (Section 7):
- A student shall not be expelled or suspended solely based on articles written or duties performed in the student publication.

Press Conferences and Training Seminars (Section 8):
- The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences, and training seminars for student-editors/writers and teacher-advisers at institutional, divisional, regional, and national levels.

Rules and Regulations (Section 9):
- The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, in coordination with student publication organizations and student journalists, shall promulgate rules and regulations for effective implementation.

Tax Exemption (Section 10):
- All grants, endowments, donations, or contributions used for promoting campus journalism shall be exempt from donor's or gift tax.

Appropriations (Section 11):
- For the initial year, ₱5,000,000.00 is authorized from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports' current appropriations savings.
- Thereafter, necessary amounts shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Effectivity (Section 12):
- The Act shall take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or at least two newspapers of general circulation.