About

“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”

– The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

“The vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools.”

        – Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

Mission Statement:

The Gillnetter aims to inform, interpret and entertain through accurate and factual reports. The newspaper serves as an educational laboratory experience for those on staff and runs as an open forum for student expression. The Gillnetter will strive to be fair, accurate, impartial and responsible in its coverage of issues that affect the school community. The goal of the paper is to cover the total school population as effectively and accurately as possible. Student journalists strive to present all issues with fairness, impartiality, maturity and journalistic integrity.

Editorial Policy:

The Gillnetter is written by Gloucester High School students who make up The Gillnetter staff. The opinions presented in The Gillnetter do not necessarily represent the position of the entire staff, Gloucester High School, or the Gloucester Public School District. As a public forum of student expression, The Gillnetter welcomes letters to the editor and comments on articles, but reserves the right to refuse letters and comments deemed inappropriate. All letters and comments must be signed and may be edited for length, accuracy, and clarity. No material will be printed where content is obscene, invasive of others’ privacy, or implies libel.

Regarding photos:

The school newspaper will not publish any photographs, illustrations etc. that ridicule, demean or misleadingly represent any individual or group. Photographs printed in the school newspaper are displayed as taken.

 Freedom of the Press:

The Gillnetter believes it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society. Therefore, this school newspaper will serve the best interest of the students of Gloucester High School and keep itself free from any other obligation.  The staff of The Gillnetter will accept guidance from its adviser, but will make its own editorial decisions. Only the editorial board may veto any material intended for publication. The Gillnetter will resist attempts at censorship, particularly pre-publication censorship. The adviser has no power of censorship or veto except for constitutionally valid reasons.

The Gillnetter and its staff are protected by and bound to the principles of the  First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various court decisions implementing those principles.

Online media produced by The Gillnetter are entitled to the same protections and subject to the same freedoms and responsibilities , as media produced for print publications.