The Student Press Law Center and two courageous student journalists came together Sept. 16 for an important and timely conversation about the “unprecedented” moment in student media. The State of the Student Press Briefing highlighted the courage students need for the upcoming year and the resources and support available to them.
The virtual event featured SPLC Executive Director Gary Green, senior legal counsel Mike Hiestand and staff attorney Jonathan Gaston-Falk, as well as student journalists Greta Reich, editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, and Myesha Phukan, former co-editor-in-chief of The Oracle at Mountain View (California) High School.
The tone of the evening focused on urgency and safety with an equal balance of hope and courage. The Student Press Law Center team emphasized that students should navigate reporting this academic year with care but also urged them to stay determined, vigilant and supportive of one another regardless of the pressures they may face.
A focal point of the evening was the discussion around the escalating threats to student press freedom in the form of arrests, administrative censorship, self-censorship and more. Hiestand, who has worked at the Student Press Law Center since 1989, said he has not seen anything like the current environment for student journalists.
“We crossed lines last year with arrests of reporters at Stanford, at Dartmouth, detainment at other universities…just for doing the sort of work that journalists, many of us on this call, are going to be doing on a regular basis this year,” he said.
Hiestand said the detentions of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk in March — as part of the federal immigration crackdown — significantly chilled student speech. After Ozturk was detained simply for coauthoring an op-ed in the Tufts Daily student newspaper, the Student Press Law Center received a flood of questions from concerned student journalists.
Reich said these incidents are taking a toll on campus communities — including at Stanford — with an increased sense of fear.
“We aren’t able to cover a lot of stories on campus because students don’t want to speak to [The Stanford Daily],” she said. “International students in particular, but definitely some domestic students as well. People just don’t feel comfortable sharing their stories.”
Phukan shared that she saw a similar environment at her high school, where the student newspaper staff was also still “reeling” from interference by and retaliation from their principal on an investigative story on sexual harassment at the school.
While these times may be “unprecedented” for student press freedom, the Student Press Law Center team assured students that they wouldn’t have to go through it alone. Hiestand and Gaston-Falk discussed tips for covering protests, reminded students of their rights, shared legal resources and highlighted the free Legal Hotline that students always have access to. Reich even shared that The Stanford Daily newsroom has used the hotline to support their work.
The event concluded with a note from Green, reinforcing the importance of student journalism, especially now more than ever.
“Student journalism is the seedbed of our democracy. Everything that you’re doing from high school into college into the professional ranks…starts with the work that you’re doing today,” he said. “And…we are 100% dedicated to help you do that work.“
For the full State of the Student Press Briefing recording, follow this link to our YouTube channel.
If you’re a student journalist or educator looking for legal support this school year, contact the Student Press Law Center’s free, confidential Legal Hotline.
The Student Press Law Center is the nation’s only legal organization devoted exclusively to defending and advancing the free press rights of student journalists. Since 1974, we have helped students and their educators navigate the law, strengthen their reporting and stand up for press freedom. Our legal support, education and advocacy empower student journalists to report freely and courageously. Learn more at splc.org.