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Category: New Voices
Amended Missouri New Voices bill ‘antithetical’ to First Amendment
HB 2918, a New Voices bill aimed at curbing arbitrary censorship of the state’s student journalists, was amended in March to include language that likely would lead to the opposite result. The amended bill awaits a full vote on the House floor, but advocates now hope it never receives one.
Maryland districts comply with 10-year-old New Voices law
As Maryland celebrates 10 years of protecting student journalists from arbitrary censorship, a Student Press Law Center analysis found that most of the state’s school districts have student media policies that comply with its New Voices law.
Georgia becomes 7th state to introduce New Voices legislation in 2026
Two bills introduced by the Georgia House of Representatives last month mark the first time in recent years that the state has considered legislation to protect student journalists from arbitrary censorship by school administrators.
Why I joined SPLC: An intern’s perspective on defending the student press
Myesha Phukan is an advocacy intern for the Student Press Law Center and a co-winner of the 2024 Courage in Student Journalism Award. If someone asked me what New Voices was three years ago, I would have looked at them with a blank expression. Now, if the same person asked me that same question today,… Continue reading Why I joined SPLC: An intern’s perspective on defending the student press
New Voices advocates testify in Missouri House hearing
Student journalists, educators and other advocates of student journalism, including an attorney from the Student Press Law Center, testified Feb. 11 at a hearing of Missouri’s House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education in support of HB 2918.
New Voices bill ‘makes journalism better,’ student tells Utah House committee
Utah’s House Education Committee has tabled the state’s New Voices bill for now, but committee members spoke favorably about student press protections in a Jan. 27 hearing. They also demonstrated willingness to work on the bill, one of the first New Voices introductions in Utah.
As Hazelwood turns 38, New Voices advocates push for change
So far in the 2026 legislative session, six states have introduced New Voices bills to undo the effects of Hazelwood, while advocates in other states are looking to follow.
Iowa, West Virginia districts fall short on student press freedom laws
A Student Press Law Center analysis this fall found that many school districts in Iowa and West Virginia fail to fully comply with state laws protecting student journalists’ rights, leaving them vulnerable to censorship despite legal safeguards.
Speak up: If we can do it, so can you
Two New Jersey high school students share how they convinced their school district to pass a new student publications policy that protects student journalists and their advisers.