Student Press Law Center

Despite COVID, New Voices made significant progress in 2020

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021 Hillary Davis

When the legislative sessions began in January, New Voices advocates in more than a dozen states intended to make 2020 an historic year for student media. They had no way of knowing what was to come. Throughout 2020 student journalists and New Voices advocates weathered a pandemic, interrupted legislatures, a record-setting election, widespread protests, risks… Continue reading Despite COVID, New Voices made significant progress in 2020

Celebrating Student Press Freedom on Constitution Day

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September 17, 2020September 21, 2020 Student Press Law Center

We honor Constitution Day by recognizing we have the right, and the responsibility, to uphold one of the First Amendment’s core values: to protect and support the free press – including student press freedom. On Constitution Day we need to recognize and fight to protect the rights of student journalists to report the news fairly… Continue reading Celebrating Student Press Freedom on Constitution Day

The woman who tried to sting The Washington Post also lied to me

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November 30, 2017August 17, 2020 Emily Goodell

I am writing this in the hopes that all reporters, not just those who are in the early years of their career like me, can learn from my experience.

32 Photojournalists, Not One of them Female

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October 6, 2017October 5, 2020 Melissa Gomez

Melissa Gomez is an 2017-18 Active Voice fellow reporting from Tampa, Fla. When I think about the professional newsrooms I’ve been in, I realize I have been fortunate enough to be able to look up to strong female role models. It’s part of the reason I wanted to be a part of Active Voice. Getting… Continue reading 32 Photojournalists, Not One of them Female

On Covering DACA, from one undocumented student journalist

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September 27, 2017August 17, 2020 Shine Cho

It’s been a little over a week since I revealed publicly for the first time that I’m undocumented. After Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Sept. 5 that DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, will be rescinded, a current editor of my high school newspaper reached out to me. She asked me, as a former editor-in-chief of the publication, to write something to our community. She wanted my help localizing national news. I agreed.

Opinion: Stop holding their hands

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July 24, 2017October 5, 2020 Sophie Gordon

Practicing as a free press isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It taught me to be too responsible and too aware of how my actions affect others. It allowed me to cover stories on topics that the public needs to know more about and made me too concerned about my civic duties. It really… Continue reading Opinion: Stop holding their hands

Virginia student confronts school board to end prior review — Q & A with Kate Karstens

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March 7, 2017August 17, 2020 Roxann Elliott

Kate Karstens is a senior at George Mason High School in Falls Church, Virginia and the editor of their student newspaper, The Lasso. Since last March, she’s been on a campaign to codify press freedom in her school district by changing her school board’s policy of prior review. I spoke with her about her passion… Continue reading Virginia student confronts school board to end prior review — Q & A with Kate Karstens

Shooting the messenger: Facebook post leads to community backlash against HS newspaper columnist

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December 13, 2016August 17, 2020 Roxann Elliott

By Shelby Zeigler I am an opinion columnist for my high school newspaper, Uncaged News. I have always loved the excitement of writing an opinionated column that starts a civic discourse among the members of my community and it’s become something I’m quite well known for in our small town. When my journalism advisor came… Continue reading Shooting the messenger: Facebook post leads to community backlash against HS newspaper columnist