“School-sponsored media” means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast by a student journalist at a public institution of higher education, distributed or generally made available to members of the student body, and prepared under the direction of a student media adviser. School-sponsored media does not include media intended for distribution or transmission solely in the classroom in which the media is produced.

“Student journalist” means a student at a public institution of higher education who gathers, compiles, writes, edits, photographs, records, or prepares information for dissemination in school-sponsored media.

“Student media adviser” means an individual employed, appointed, or designated by a public institution of higher education to supervise or provide instruction relating to school-sponsored media.

b. Except as otherwise provided in subsection c. of this section, a student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media, regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the public institution of higher education or by use of institution facilities, or produced in conjunction with a course in which the student is enrolled. Subject to subsection c. of this section, a student journalist is responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of school-sponsored media. This subsection shall not be construed to prevent a student media adviser from teaching professional standards of English and journalism to student journalists.

c. This section does not authorize or protect expression by a student that:

(1) is libelous or slanderous;

(2) constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy;

(3) is profane or obscene;

(4) violates federal or State law; or

(5) so incites students as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of an unlawful act, the violation of policies of the public institution of higher education, or the material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the institution.

d. An employee of a public institution of higher education shall not be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, transferred, or otherwise retaliated against solely for acting to protect a student engaged in the conduct authorized under this section, or refusing to infringe upon conduct that is protected by this section, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or paragraph 6 of Article I of the New Jersey Constitution.

L. 2021, c.309, s.3.