Eighth Congress
REPUBLIC ACT No. 7079
July 5, 1991

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. – This Act shall be known and referred to as the "Campus Journalism Act of 1991."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and protect the freedom of the press even at the campus level and to promote the development and growth of campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical values, encouraging critical and creative thinking, and developing moral character and personal discipline of the Filipino youth.In furtherance of this policy, the State shall undertake various programs and projects aimed at improving the journalistic skills of students concerned and promoting responsible and free journalism.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. –

(a) School. – An institution for learning in the elementary, secondary or tertiary level comprised of the studentry, administration, faculty and non-faculty personnel;

(b) Student Publication. – The issue of any printed material that is independently published by, and which meets the needs and interests of, the studentry;

(c) Student Journalist. – Any bona fide student enrolled for the current semester or term, who was passed or met the qualification and standards of the editorial board.He must likewise maintain a satisfactory academic standing.

(d) Editorial Board. – In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be composed of student journalists who have qualified in placement examinations.In the case of elementary and high school levels, the editorial board shall be composed of a duly appointed faculty adviser, the editor who qualified and a representative of the Parents-Teachers' Association, who will determine the editorial policies to be implemented by the editor and staff members of the student publication concerned.

At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser at the option of its members.

(e) Editorial Policies. – A set of guidelines by which a student publication is operated and managed, taking into account pertinent laws as well as the school administration's policies.Said guidelines shall determine the frequency of the publication, the manner of selecting articles and features and other similar matters.

Section 4. Student Publication. – A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected but fair and competitive examinations.

Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies and manage the publication's funds.

Section 5. Funding of Student Publication. – Funding for the student publication may include the savings of the respective school's appropriations, student subscriptions, donations, and other sources of funds.

In no instance shall the Department of Education, Culture and Sports or the school administration concerned withhold he release of funds sourced from the savings of the appropriations of the respective schools and other sources intended for the student publication. Subscription fees collected by the school administration shall be released automatically to the student publication concerned.

Section 6. Publication Adviser. – The publication adviser shall be selected by the school administration from a list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The function of the adviser shall be limited to one of technical guidance.

Section 7. Security of Tenure. – A member of the publication staff must maintain his or her status as student in order to retain membership in the publication staff. A student shall not be expelled or suspended solely on the basis of articles he or she has written, or on the basis of the performance of his or her duties in the student publication.

Section 8. Press Conferences and Training Seminar. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences and training seminars in which student-editors/writers and teacher-adviser of student publications in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels shall participate. Such competitions, conferences and seminars shall be held at the institutional, divisional, and regional levels, culminating with the holding of the annual national elementary, secondary or tertiary School Press Conferences in places of historical and/or cultural interest in the country.

Section 9. Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, in coordination with the officers of the national elementary, secondary or tertiary organizations or official advisers of student publications, together with student journalists at the tertiary level and existing organizations of student journalists, shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 10. Tax Exemption. – Pursuant to paragraph 4, Section 4, Article XIV of the Constitution, all grants, endowments, donations, or contributions used actually, directly and exclusively for the promotion of campus journalism as provided for in this Act shall be exempt from donor's or gift tax.

Section 11. Appropriations. – For the initial year of implementation, the sum of Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the savings from the current appropriations of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Section 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved: July 5, 1991.

B. Student Handbook – Rule V. Student Publication Section

Section 1. Nature of Publication. The College shall allow the publication of magazines and other periodic subject to existing laws.

Section 2. Purpose and Objectives. The student publication shall aim to support the College in the quest for educational excellence, particularly in the improvement of instruction, promotion of research, and involvement in meaningful activities of the community. It shall also aim to maximize its leadership and influence to foster and enhance the attainment of the goals of the institutional, regional, and national development.

Section 3. Publication Adviser. There shall be a Faculty Adviser for Publications who shall be under the Dean of Student Services. The Faculty Adviser shall supervise the student publication through the designated Editor-in-Chief in carrying out editorial activities and reproduction assessment of the editorial staff, take charge of the business operation of the student newspapers, exercise authority and recommend disciplinary measures to the Dean of Student Services, in the case of non-performing editorial staffers.

Section 4. Selection of the Staffers. A Screening and Selection Panel shall be created by the Vice President through the Dean of Student Services to select the senior staff (editor-in-chief, associate editor, managing editor), the junior editors (section staffers) and other staffers of the publication. The staff is selected through competitive written and oral examinations conducted by the publication adviser and to be endorsed to the Dean of the Office of Student Services.

Section 5. Editorial Board. The following qualifications have to be satisfied in the selection for a position to the Editorial Board;

a. must be a bona fide student of the College who carries a regular load;

b. must be a resident for at least one (1) year for Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, Managing Editor (as attested by the College Registrar);

c. must have an average of at least 2.0 or 86, and no grade below 2.5 in all his or her subjects taken and without failing grades;

d. must have no derogatory records;

e. must pass the oral and written examination with the following criteria;

            Point weighted is by percentage which as follows:

            Written Examination                                      40%

            Oral Examination (Personal Interview)         30%

            Relevant Previous Experience                        20%

            Work Ethics and Values                                 10%

            Total                                                               100%

            The following criteria for the oral examination are used to screen the student applications, namely;

            Fluency of Verbal Expression                        10%

            Values/ Judgment Analysis                            15%

            Personality Traits                                           5%

f. must submit application to the publication adviser.

Section 6. Appointment of Staffers. A work contract is issued to the ranked students in the form of an Appointment Paper which states the specification of function of the position in Editorial Board including tuition benefits. The Editor-in-Chief shall enjoy 100% free tuition fee privilege while other editorial student staffers (except contributors) shall enjoy 50% tuition fee discount. The Dean of the Student Services shall issue an appointment paper to the student staffer conforming to the conditions stated in the appointment paper.

Section 7. Disciplinary of Erring Students. Any infraction of the Code of Ethics shall be subject to disciplinary action. However, no student shall be expelled or suspended from the College on the basis of his or her articles written or performance of his or her duties as per Republic Act 7079, Section 7.

C. Student Publication Screening of Editorial Staff Process (as reflected in the ISO 9001:2015 Manual)

Title: Screening of Editorial Staff (SES)

Purpose: To establish a pool of student writers who will actively embody the essence of campus journalism and who can produce different publication materials

Scope: This covers the application and selection processes of the editorial board members and contributors

Process Owner: Student Publication Coordinator Forms: Application Form, Oral Examination Assessment Form

Process Flow/ Activities	Responsible Office/Person	Details/Reference
Announcement of the Application Period	Student Publication Coordinator/ Public Information Office/ Dean of the Office of Student Services	Note 1
Submission of Application Forms with Attached Sample Works	Student Publication Coordinator	Note 2
Oral Examination	Student Publication Coordinator	Note 3
On-the-spot Writing Assessment or Practicum for Photography/ Layouting/ Cartooning	Student Publication Coordinator/ Existing Editorial Staff	Note 4
Deliberation	Student Publication Coordinator/Existing Editorial Staff	Note 5
Endorsement of the Editorial Staff and Contributors	Student Publication Coordinator/Office of the Student Services Dean	Note 6
Signing of the Work Contracts of the Editorial Staff	Student Publication Coordinator/Office of the Student Services Dean	Note 7

Note 1:

The Student Publication Coordinator shall coordinate with the Public Information Officer and the Dean of the Office of Student Services to reach all possible communication channels about the application period of the student publication.

Note 2:

Interested students can visit the Student Publication Office for the distribution of application forms within the set application period. The Student Publication Office shall accept submission of application forms with attached sample works before the announced schedule for the closing of applications.

Note 3:

The Student Publication Office will reach out to the applicants through the contact information indicated in the application forms. It will inform the applicants for the schedule of an oral examination where they will be assessed against the following criteria (stipulated in the College Student Handbook):

Fluency of Verbal Expression            10%

Values/ Judgement Analysis              15%

Personality Traits                               5%

Note 4:

After the interview, the applicants will proceed to the on-the-spot writing exercise. The writing activity will be directed by the declared inclinations of the applicant during the interview part. For lay-outing, photojournalism, and cartooning, the applicants will be provided with a venue or equipment as aid to their on-the-spot practicum.

Note 5:

The Student Publication will head the deliberation of the documents of the applicants. S/he can solicit advise from the existing editorial board members. The final rating will be weighted using the following criteria:

Written Examination                          40%

Oral Examination                               30%

Relevant Previous Experience            20%

Work Ethics and Values                     10%

Note 6:

The Student Publication Coordinator will endorse the newly selected Editorial Staff and Contributors, subject to the final approval of the Dean of the Office of Student Services.

Note 7:

The Student Publication Coordinator will prepare a work contract for every editorial board member with the appointee’s terms of reference. This will be duly approved by the Dean of the Office of Student Services.