Our country faces extreme volatility, and press freedom is under serious threat. Yet student journalists refuse to back down.
College and high school reporters are filling critical gaps in local news, telling stories that would otherwise go untold. They hold the powerful accountable, even when the powerful are their own school administrators. From covering ICE activity in their communities to reporting on campus figures named in the Epstein files, student journalists have shown courage in every story.
As our new 2025-2026 Impact Report demonstrates, the Student Press Law Center has been with them every step of the way.
This past school year, our team trained thousands of student journalists to know and exercise their First Amendment rights, fielded daily hotline calls from students navigating censorship in real time, and advocated for student press freedom legislation in statehouses across the country.
One truth stands out: A free student press makes communities more connected, more informed and better equipped to advocate for what they need.
We Empower Strong Student Journalism
Before students at the University of Florida published a 2026 series on the link between chemical exposure and Parkinson’s disease, we provided pre-publication support, including verifying sourcing across 100 interviews and making recommendations to protect against liability.
We Fight Against Censorship
At Indiana University, administrators began planting seeds for eventual censorship in 2025. We were there to guide students and advisers before, during and after administrators halted printing on the Indiana Daily Student and wrongly fired the student media director for pushing back.
We Amplify and Advocate for Student Voices
We trained and advised the students who advocated for New Voices laws, which protect student press freedom, in state legislatures across the country. We also supported a California-based high school adviser when administrators violated their state’s existing New Voices law.
Discover the stories behind the work, the impact made possible alongside student journalists, and where we’re headed next.
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. Stay updated by subscribing at splc.org/newsletter.