The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association is playing a key role in helping give journalism students in Wisconsin additional protections.
During a trip to Madison last week, the WBA’s legislative committee spoke with lawmakers about a bill that has made its way through the Assembly that Seehafer Broadcasting Vice President Terry Stevenson says will help foster the next generation of journalists.
Explained that the bill aims to “give protections for students, in high school or college, if they are in journalism, whether it is a student newspaper or student radio station…that they have that freedom of speech to say and write what they want to say without any form of discrimination or punishment if it may not fit an agenda of someone.”
Seehafer News has hosted several interns from local high schools over the past year, and Stevenson clarified that they would not be covered by this law as it only covers school-run newspapers or radio stations.
Of course, the students would still have to abide by profanity and libel or slander rules that all journalists must abide by.
The WBA also spoke with state leaders about AI in political advertising and issues related to open records.
The WBA’s Legislative Committee will also be heading to Washington DC later this year to address some federal issues with those representatives, including the importance of AM Radio.
