The Student Press Law Center is excited to welcome Grayson Marlow as the organization’s new full-time Advocacy Associate. Marlow, also a former SPLC intern, shared a welcome message to the SPLC community and more about what he’s looking forward to in his new role.
I am thrilled to be rejoining the Student Press Law Center as the organization’s new Advocacy Associate. As a former student journalist, I’ve loved seeing the commitment to protecting student journalists and their advisers that the entire SPLC team and community exhibits every single day. It is a privilege to be joining the team full-time and to be working on issues so near and dear to my heart.
I first joined the team as an advocacy intern in early 2022 while studying journalism ethics at NYU Gallatin. With my passion for the First Amendment and the knowledge of just how hard being a student journalist can be in this generation, I was drawn to SPLC’s mission.
Through SPLC, I have made tremendous strides in my ability to educate students about their rights and empower advocates to fight for the protections they deserve. SPLC’s resources and guidance have given me the history and proof to tell students that their voices matter. I have seen how even just one voice can make such a huge difference, and that sometimes all it takes is one student to start a whole movement.
Since starting as an intern, I’ve spent my time supporting student press freedom by doing anything from creating new tools to end the silencing of student voices to providing mentorship and support to student advocates. The school board advocacy toolkit I helped to create was a collaborative project that started with just a small group of students in Florida wanting protections at the local level now, while their legislature drags their feet. I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing two more states pass New Voices laws during my time at SPLC and watched many other states continue growing their coalitions and efforts. Just a few months ago in February, I joined 53 New York students as they braved a snowstorm and went to Albany for a day of advocacy. They met their legislators with a passion and dedication that could be felt throughout the capitol building. It is that same energy that I will bring to each advocacy project our team takes on.
My time as an intern at SPLC has reinforced my passion for free expression at every turn and made it clear that student press freedom protections like New Voices are vital now, more than ever.
— Grayson Marlow
The students around the country who are fighting against censorship inspire me every day and it has been my privilege to support them and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. I am delighted to continue working alongside the SPLC team and look forward to continuing my work in promoting, supporting, and defending thousands of bold and brave student journalists and advisers across the country.
Want to connect with Grayson about student press freedom advocacy work? Get in touch with him at gmarlow@splc.org!