Policy

As a student newspaper at a public university, the East Tennessean enjoys the First Amendment freedoms provided by the U.S. Constitution and shared by commercial news organizations.

While East Tennessean editors make all decisions regarding the content in the newspaper, the Student Publications Committee provides the framework and policies as a stable foundation for the staff and readers of the student newspaper and the university community, regardless of regular changes in executive and staff positions.

The Student Publications Committee is made up of members representing the university's students, faculty and staff, whose responsibilities include developing, recommending and reviewing policy, approving the newspaper's annual budget, and hiring the executive editor for the publication.

Click here for the ETSU Student Publications Committee's Policies and Operation Procedures.

The Student Publications Committee has also approved a Code of Ethics used to guide student staff members in making decisions regarding their conduct and moral judgment as journalists.