Editorial Policy
Responsibilities of a free student press: Serving as the primary communication link within the Liberal Arts and Science Academy and between the school and the local community, this newspaper accepts the responsibilities inherent in being a free press. The LASA Liberator staff strive to produce a professional- quality publication that follows the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. The objective is to print the news in a fair and objective manner with the utmost regard for integrity.
Editorial Content:
1. The students on The LASA Liberator staff will print articles which have been researched to
the best of their ability to obtain the most complete available information.
2. The information will be presented in a truthful and fair manner.
3. When personal commentary is given it will be in good taste on issues that have been
researched, analyzed and where expert opinion has been sought.
4.All commentary will be clearly labeled as such.
5. No material which is obscene, libelous or that will cause an immaterial and substantial
disruption of the school day, according to accepted legal definitions, will be printed.
The Editorial Boards and its Functions:
The LASA Liberator staff will be governed by an editorial board composed of the following individuals:
lead editors and commentary editors.
The Editorial board will:
1. Determine the content of the publication (with input from other staff members)
2. Stress the editorial policy
3. Ensure the accuracy of the publication
4. Address inappropriate behavior on the part of the staff
5. Dispense disciplinary action to staff members
6. Change or add policy as necessary
Viewpoints: Printed material which contains the opinion of a staff member or a contributing writer will be labeled as
such. These views are not intended to reflect the view of the administration of Liberal Arts and Science
Academy nor the School Board of the Austin Independent School District. Viewpoints will be given in two
areas in the newspaper.
Editorials: These will be determined by the staff consensus. The editorial will be unsigned and
will represent the majority viewpoint of the staff.
Commentary: Commentary articles represent the viewpoint of one member of the staff, and
are signed as such. These articles do not represent the opinions of the entire staff.
Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor are accepted for topics of general interest to the readership of
the newspaper. Letters must be submitted typed or neatly printed in ink and must have the signature of
the writer and the writer’s grade level. Editors reserve the right to determine which issue the letter will
be published in, with every effort made to print the letter as soon as possible. The editors also reserve the
right to edit the letter for grammar, length and repetition. No letters which are obscene or libelous will be
published.
Non-Staff Contributors: Bylined contributions are welcome.
Correction of Errors: The staff makes every effort to print accurate information. In the case of substantial
errors, a written correction will be made in the following issue of the newspaper.
Sources: In general, no anonymous sources will be used in reporting. Sources from within the school, as
well as those not connected with the school, will be used. Under no circumstances will gifts, including
coupons, etc., be accepted by the staff members from sources or advertisers.
Note: The LASA Liberator will attempt to publish a range of opinions within reason.