On February 28, student journalists and other supporters of student press freedom testified in the Missouri Senate Progress and Development Committee in support of SB1099, which would establish the Cronkite New Voices Act to protect freedom of the press in school-sponsored media.
Students who testified included Anna Colletto, a 2023 Student Press Freedom Day co-chair. Colletto is now studying journalism at the University of Missouri. The Maneater, the independent student newspaper at the University of Missouri, also had many reporters and editors testify in favor of the bill.
The Student Press Law Center submitted written testimony in support of the bill, which would protect Missouri’s public high school and college student journalists from censorship that is based on subjective or ambiguous reasoning. Rather, it enables them to report the truth without fear of censorship, protects student media advisers from retaliation and allows Missouri’s schools to maintain a successful learning environment. Missouri is the birthplace of the Hazelwood decision and the enactment of the Cronkite New Voices Act would be a huge step forward in countering the 36 year old precedent.
Below is SPLC’s written testimony provided to the Senate Progress and Development Committee.