Student newspaper fights for press freedom, district backs down

The staff at Ballard High School’s student newspaper,The Talisman, was up in arms about a proposed change to district policies they worry could lead to a clampdown on their content.

Talisman editor-in-chief Kate Clark told 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ross & Burbank Show that although the paper has never been prevented from printing anything, she worried about the effect of a policy that would require prior review and allow administrators to censor controversial content.

“We want to continue to have the right to continue with our open public forum and publish anything we think is necessary to fully represent the student voice of our school,” Clark said.

According to Clark the paper has published articles critical of the school and district in the past, and even though the principal has left the paper and its adviser alone, she worries he would be forced to interfere if a new policy were to pass.

Clark and her friends plastered the Ballard area with flyers protesting the proposed policy change.

The Seattle School District decided not to pursue changes to policies regarding oversight of student newspapers that would have required all content be reviewed by administrators, following the interview on Monday.

“When I was going to school the principal pretty much said what you could do,” recalls Dave.

“I started making political remarks and I was told in no uncertain terms you don’t get to say what you want on this tv station, this is a school tv station.”

Listen to Ballard High newspaper Editor in Chief Kate Clark on her censorship fight with the Seattle School Board

-Josh Kerns/97.3 KIRO FM