Last updated Feb. 19, 2026, with additional events
Student journalists and supporters across the country will join together soon for Student Press Freedom Day, a national moment to stand up for press freedom and recognize the essential role student journalists play in their communities.
This year’s Student Press Freedom Day theme, Resilience in Action, celebrates the ways that student journalists pivot, push forward and raise their voices — even as censorship, intimidation and legal threats escalate.
As communities seek clarity and trusted information, student journalism plays a critical role in shining a light on the truth and telling important stories that no one else is. Student journalists — and the advisers and educators who support them — uncover the facts and hold power to account. Student journalists show up.
Student Press Freedom Day is a call to show up. It will take all of us — students, educators, advocates and community members alike — to ensure student journalists have the protections they need to continue their critical work.
Join us on Thursday, Feb. 26, to amplify student journalism and stand up for press freedom. Read on to understand how you can support student journalists and press freedom this month and beyond.
Take action
Everyone has a role to play in supporting student press freedom. Here are a few ways to get started:
- Student journalists: Find new ways to illustrate your newsroom’s impact this Student Press Freedom Day. A behind-the-scenes TikTok, fresh ad campaign, table in the center of campus, or an editorial about press freedom can all be effective strategies.
- Educators: Integrate student press freedom into your lesson plans next week. SPLC has pre-made presentations to support your explanation of First Amendment rights, media law and other critical topics.
- Professional journalists and lawyers: Amplify the work of the student journalists near you. Engage with and share their coverage, and consider adding your own perspective on the importance of student journalism on social media or by writing an op-ed in local news media. If you’re covering them, here are seven things to know.
- Everyone: Commit to expanding your knowledge of student press freedom. Take our crash course, learn more about students’ rights in your state and get involved in New Voices to protect and expand those rights.
This list only scratches the surface of the many actions you can take for Student Press Freedom Day and beyond. Check out additional ideas:
No matter what you’re planning, we have lots of resources to help — including logos, event planning tips and suggested talking points. And be sure to let us know what you’ve got planned!
Join an event
Join the Student Press Law Center or our partners for the following events to learn more about the law, pick up a valuable skill, or connect with the student press community:
✍ College Editors Town Hall
Sunday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. Eastern (for college editors only)
Take a break from the never-ending news cycle and the realities of running a student newsroom to talk candidly with other editors who are facing the same issues you are. This discussion is open only to college media student leaders.
🎙 Scholastic Journalism Week
Feb. 23-27, 2026
The Journalism Education Association celebrates scholastic journalism all week with the theme “Press Under Pressure.” Each day offers classroom resources.
📱 Digital Security Fundamentals for Student Journalists
Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Protecting yourself and your sources from digital threats isn’t optional — it’s essential. In this interactive session, trainers from Freedom of the Press Foundation will highlight tools and tactics to help student journalists secure their devices and data.
🏛 Student Press Rights Affirmation for Private and Independent Schools
Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. Eastern
Join us to chat about standing up for your rights as a student journalist in private and independent schools with PSJA’s Model Affirmation of Student Free Expression Rights! Modeled after the New Voices movement, this session covers what the Model Affirmation is, what it protects (student editorial independence with clear limits), and how schools can adopt it and receive recognition.
✍️ The State of Student Press Freedom
Friday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. Eastern
Amid escalating censorship, intimidation and legal threats, student journalists continue to shine a light on the truth and tell stories no one else can. Join this virtual discussion to hear directly from student editors about the state of student press freedom in 2026. Featuring Gabrielle Gunter, editor-in-chief of Alice at the University of Alabama; Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller, co-editors-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University; Ramona Jacobson and Thomas Harrison, former editors-in-chief of The Lowell at Lowell High School in San Francisco; moderated by Cate Charron, First Amendment reporter at the Indianapolis Star.
🗣 New Voices Texas: Censorship & Why Student Voices Matter
Saturday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central
Guest speakers will address what censorship looks like in schools, why student journalists’ voices matter, and how students can protect their right to publish freely.
Sponsors
We would like to thank the following organizations for making Student Press Freedom Day possible:
- Freedom Forum
- INICIVOX®
- John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
- Law Office of Matthew S.L. Cate
- Pitch Publicity®
- Poynter Institute
We would also like to thank the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Skyline Foundation for their generous support of the Student Press Law Center and our programs, including Student Press Freedom Day.