SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler’s House Bill 4420, which enhances editorial independence and makes changes to the College Campus Press Act to include professional journalist on campus has become law.
“The freedom to investigate a story is how journalism thrives and real reform happens,” Said Koehler (D-Peoria) “Denying editorial independence to our aspiring journalists and professional journalists on campus is denying our communities honest stories about the real events taking place on and off campus.”
This law modifies the College Campus Press Act to define public media produced at a state-supported institution of higher learning. The measure states that public media and professional journalists at these institutions would not be subject to prior review by the institution's public officials, and expression by employees or agents producing the media would not be considered speech attributable to the institution itself.
The change in law allows an employee or agent of an entity that creates or distributes public media at a state-supported institution of higher learning to bring a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief if the act is violated.
“As good journalism is more crucial than ever, we intend to support their storytelling efforts,” Koehler said.
House Bill 4420 was signed into law Friday.
