EDITORIAL POLICY

The Flor-Ala, as the student newspaper of the University of North Alabama, dedicates itself to the accurate presentation of the news of its community, to reporting the news of all segments of that community, students, faculty, administrators, the board of trustees, alumni, and friends of the university.

Further, it serves as a forum of opinion for the exchange of ideas among all its constituent groups. To that end, it must operate without undue influence or control by any one of those constituent groups.

Since 1931, the student press has worked to establish and maintain on campus an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion, and of intellectual exploration. The Flor-Ala has become a means of bringing student concerns to the attention of the faculty and university authorities, of bringing faculty and administrative concerns to the attention of the students, and of formulating opinion on issues on the campus and in the world at large.

Freedom of the press is not license. The editorial freedom accorded generations of student editors brings corollary responsibilities:

* To be governed by the canons of responsible journalism, such as the avoidance of libel, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo. As safeguards for the editorial freedom of the student newspaper, the following provisions have been deemed essential:

* The campus press should be free of censorship and advance approval of copy, and its editors free to develop their own editorial policies and news coverage (always excepting libelous or slanderous matter).

* Editors and managers of campus publications should be protected from arbitrary suspension or removal because of student, faculty, administrative or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Only for proper and stated causes should editors or managers be subject to removal, and then by orderly and prescribed procedures. The agency responsible for the appointment of editors and managers, the Publications Board is the agency responsible for their removal.

* All student publications should state explicitly on the editorial page that the opinions there expressed are not necessarily those of the university, its officials, its faculty, or the student body.