Press Freedom in Your State

Who We Are

The Student Press Law Center works at the intersection of law, journalism and education to promote, support and defend the rights of student journalists and their advisers at the high school and college levels.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan SPLC provides information, training and legal assistance at no charge to student journalists and the educators who work with them. Founded in 1974, the SPLC is a small and scrappy outfit based in Washington, D.C. with an outsized impact across the country.

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FOI Lawsuit Template

If a government agency denies your request for records, use our templates to file a complaint in court and learn about legal options in your state.

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Recent News

December 2018: What effect does paying student journalists have on the composition of a newsroom?

Madison Dudley: For many, working as a collegiate student journalist means going unpaid or underpaid. The work experience is considered payment enough and the experience is often a pre-requisite to landing an internship or full-time job in journalism. But the financial reality for student journalists has changed over the last 20 years, especially in the… Continue reading December 2018: What effect does paying student journalists have on the composition of a newsroom?

In a win for transparency, Pennsylvania court orders release of school bus surveillance video

Editor’s Note: The Student Press Law Center signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief from the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida arguing for greater transparency in public schools and against overly broad usage of FERPA to block what should be public information. The following is an excerpt from a story by the… Continue reading In a win for transparency, Pennsylvania court orders release of school bus surveillance video