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.
Emily Wilkins is a senior at Hunter College High School in New York where she serves as editor for her school newspaper, What’s What. She shares her experiences at the 2025 Institute and what comes next in her advocacy work.
Ava Kate White is a senior at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas where she serves as the print editor for her school’s publication, The Tiger Newsmagazine. She shares her experiences at the 2025 Institute and what comes next in her advocacy work.
Alex Yu is a rising senior at Middleton High School in Wisconsin. He shares his experiences at the 2025 Institute and what comes next in his advocacy work.
Alex Lieberman is a junior in Florida where they serve as the Opinion Editor at their school’s publication, The Torch. They share their experiences at the 2025 Institute and what comes next in their advocacy work.
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.
One big question about New Voices laws often comes up: How can a state law or local school policy “override” a U.S. Supreme Court decision like Hazelwood? Senior legal counsel Mike Hiestand provides the answer.
Members of the New Voices Pennsylvania coalition traveled to the state capitol building in Harrisburg on June 25 to meet with several key legislators and their staff members to discuss student press freedom.
