New Voices in Michigan

• Contact your state legislators to let them know why this legislation is important to you. Find out who your legislators are here. Not sure what to say? Check out our phone script and letter-writing tips here.
• Talk with SPLC’s New Voices Advocacy and Organizing Team (newvoices@splc.org) about ways to bring New Voices to Michigan.

• Refine your thoughts with talking points, find answers to frequently asked questions, or find other resources here.
• Locate a copy of your school district’s student media or student expression policy. This toolkit can tell you everything you need to know about your policy and what you can do with it. Some student media policies offer legal protection equal to or even exceeding New Voices protections. If that’s the case, spread the word! (And let SPLC know, too.)
• Help your colleagues better understand student press freedom by inviting an SPLC expert to join you: SPLC In The Classroom.
• Spread the word about New Voices. Enlist all your friends in Michigan to raise their voices in support of this measure, which ensures the basic First Amendment rights of student journalists and protects their advisers from retaliation.

• Students at Groves High School combat misinformation and learn news literacy (January 24, 2022) WXYZ Detroit
• Commentary: Mass shooting coverage shows crucial role of student journalists Spartan Newsroom (2-17-23)
• Video: Fighting for students’ freedom of speech Student Press Law Center (4-12-16)
• Michigan student press freedom bill clears committee vote, heads to Senate floor Student Press Law Center (3-23-16)
• Why a high school principal wanted the school paper to be a public forum, after a year of prior review Student Press Law Center (8-26-15)
• From the Daily: Defending student journalists The Michigan Daily (10-6-15)

• 2004: New Voices is first introduced in the Michigan legislature. 
• 2007: HB 5214 is introduced. 
• 2016: SB 848 is introduced and approved by the Senate Judiciary committee.

You can see the list of national endorsers at the bottom of this page.