A Student Press Law Center-led coalition today warned the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that student press freedom is at stake in its review of the University of Alabama’s decision to close two student magazines.
A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump Administration unconstitutionally used immigration law to silence the speech of international students, including within student media.
College and high school reporters are filling critical gaps in local news, telling stories that would otherwise go untold. From covering ICE activity in their communities to reporting on campus figures named in the Epstein files, student journalists have shown courage in every story. As our new 2025-2026 Impact Report demonstrates, the Student Press Law Center has been with them every step of the way.
It has been a turbulent year in the courts for student journalism, with a number of decided and ongoing cases that could have long-lasting implications for student press freedom and beyond. The Student Press Law Center reviews where eight of these cases stand right now.
More than 150 student journalists from all 25 public high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, sent an open letter today demanding their district comply with the state’s New Voices legislation after the release of an alarming memo that requires principals to read and approve every story before publication.
A coalition of 14 national journalism organizations sent a letter Tuesday to Indiana University administrators, urging them to act on a student media task force’s recommendations — and warning that the press freedom community is still watching.
This month, student journalists sat down with the Student Press Law Center to discuss how they’re helping cover the millions of documents released in connection to several Epstein investigations, and how to defend accurate reporting when powerful people push back.
At the Student Press Law Center, we recognize that the need to defend and advance student press freedom has never been greater. As the challenges facing student journalists grow more complex, we are responding with a strategic plan that sharpens our focus and strengthens how we support students, educators and advisers in this moment.
Amid escalating student press censorship, funding cuts and other challenges, participants in the 2026 State of Student Press Freedom webinar made it clear that students aren’t cowering under these growing threats. Instead, they are actively fighting them.
