We started hearing concerns from student journalists through our Legal Hotline as federal immigration raids and increased surveillance were ramping up. But it was the arrest of Tufts University international student Rümeysa Öztürk — for merely writing an op-ed in a student newspaper — that made the stakes unmistakably clear.
Dilan Gohill was arrested while covering a student protest at the university’s president’s office in June 2024. Wearing a press badge and holding a camera, Gohill was clearly there to cover the event, yet he was detained alongside demonstrators, spent 15 hours in custody and faced potential felony charges.
In a dramatic and courageous stand for press freedom last fall, the staff of The Mercury at the University of Texas at Dallas went on strike following administrators’ controversial firing of their editor. Now, with the support of the Student Press Law Center and our partners, they operate a new student newspaper, The Retrograde, completely independent of the university.
The Student Press Law Center is proud to announce a generous $500,000 gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand its efforts to defend and advance the free press rights of high school and college student journalists.
Pratika Katiyar's unwavering commitment to student press freedom began in high school. Now an activist working in privacy at the ACLU, Pratika's connection with the Student Press Law Center started in a moment of uncertainty.
The Student Press Law Center and 18 other journalism and free speech organizations wrote to Columbia University and Barnard College today to express concern over the institutions’ “appalling treatment” of student journalists.
The Student Press Law Center is pleased to announce that veteran journalist Steven A. Holmes has been elected as chair of the SPLC Board of Directors, and five leaders in media law, journalism and communications have joined the board.
A federal court today ordered the government to immediately release Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national who has been held in ICE custody since March 25.
April 2025 Student Media AlertDownload National student media organizations today took the unprecedented step of releasing a “Student Media Alert” to warn about the current threats to student speech posed by recent immigration enforcement actions on campuses across the country. The alert recommends student media leaders revisit their policies on takedown requests and anonymous sources,… Continue reading Student media groups warn of unprecedented threats
The Student Press Law Center and 14 other free speech and journalism organizations today released a letter condemning the detention of a Tufts University student reportedly based on opinions expressed in a student newspaper op-ed.
