Generally speaking, a private university has more leeway to restrict content of a campus newspaper than a public university does.

For more information about rules and laws governing campus publications, visit the Student Press Law Center, located in Arlington, Va.

Also, consider these questions:

· Have top editors, managers and advisers had training on issues of sensitivity and diversity?

· Is the staff representative of the campus population in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and so on?

· Does the newspaper publish humorous or satirical editions during the year? If so, what guidelines are in place for such issues, especially those appearing on Halloween or April Fools' Day?

· What is the policy for accepting and publishing letters to the editor?

· Does the paper print op-ed pieces disagreeing with the editorial stance or content of the newspaper? What are the guidelines for such pieces?

· Does the newspaper have a policy about publishing inflammatory, racist or derogatory advertisements?

· How does the newspaper handle corrections, retractions and apologies?

· Does the newspaper have an editorial advisory board to provide feedback on coverage, accuracy and fairness? If so, who sits on the board, and how broad is the representation?