The Student Press Law Center’s sixth annual New Voices Student Leadership Institute kicked off this year with 25 students from 15 states. They joined SPLC staff members and special guest speakers to learn about the New Voices movement and how they could be leaders in their state’s efforts toward student press freedom.
Students engaged in a wide range of activities meant to enhance their leadership and organizing skills and develop their role with the New Voices movement. During the free online program, they participated in workshops on public narratives, created an advocacy strategy for their state, and heard from experts on press freedom. Among this year’s guest speakers were Steve Listopad, a journalism instructor and long-time New Voices advocate, and Institute alumni, who returned to motivate the new class of student leaders. Guests emphasized the importance of student voices in this movement and beyond, and guided students on how to use their voice to pass legislation that protects their First Amendment rights.
After spending two weeks learning from SPLC team members, special guest speakers and one another, this new group of New Voices student leaders are ready to put their strategies into action in their states.
Ava Kate White is one of these students. White is a senior at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas where she serves as the print editor for her school’s publication, The Tiger Newsmagazine. She shares her experiences at the Institute and what comes next in her advocacy work.
I began my journalism career my freshman year when I transferred to Little Rock Central High School, a school known for its social justice. As I’ve grown, not only as a journalist but also as a young adult, I have come to understand the importance of the First Amendment and how vital it is to our democracy. When I was introduced to the opportunity to be a part of this institute, I was immediately drawn to its mission: protecting and advocating for student press rights. As student journalists, the journey towards a truly free press is a little bit trickier than it may be for professional journalists, but that should not mean that our rights are not treated with the same respect.
Throughout the six days of the institute, my peers and I were equipped with the tools that we will need to combat this, to fight for a difference. We worked to set reasonable goals for the advocacy year, gained insight from New Voices professionals, and met other students who are just as passionate about making a change.
Outside of this, the institute was also a moment of empowerment. I am the first student in Arkansas to be a New Voices Student Leader, which initially felt slightly disheartening, especially when I looked at what challenges may lie ahead of me as I work to introduce new legislation. However, our first guest speaker was Steve Listopad, who helped pass Arkansas’s current New Voices law. Seeing more representation from my state and making that connection inspired me and gave me hope for the upcoming year.
Arkansas’s current New Voices law protects public high school and college students from retaliation, as well as college advisers, which is amazing, however these protections do not apply to high school advisers. When I made the transition to high school, I found comfort in our newsroom, and my adviser welcomed me into our school’s journalism program. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in both the success of our publication and my growth as a journalist. She has always acted as a role model and mentor in this field for my peers and me, which is why I was appalled when I found out that she could be fired for modeling what a free press does: report on the truth, hold people accountable and tell the real stories of people in our community. If high school advisers fear for their jobs when controversial topics are being covered, it will lead to a decrease in students who chase the breaking stories or who dare to stray from the status quo. For this reason, my goal for the next several months is to work towards introducing a new piece of legislation that will protect high school journalism advisers in the state of Arkansas. In addition, I hope to bring more awareness to this issue across the state by recruiting students to support their First Amendment freedoms, because everybody has a voice.
Learn more about how you can take action to restore and protect student press freedom in your state.