An analysis by the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) has found that more than half of New Jersey school districts may be in violation of a 2021 law protecting student press freedom.
Tom McHale reflects on how New Jersey passed its New Voices law and his tips for advocates working to become the next New Voices state.
For immediate release: December 22, 2021 For more information: Andrew Benson | abenson@splc.org Download as a PDF Student Press Law Center commends New Jersey and Gov. Phil Murphy for codifying student press freedom WASHINGTON — The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) commends the State of New Jersey and Gov. Phil Murphy for their recent passage and yesterday’s… Continue reading New Jersey Becomes 15th New Voices State
NEW JERSEY — Student journalists at the County College of Morris recently went before the school’s Board of Trustees with more than two years of documented incidents with school administrators — saying administrators intimidated the student newspaper staff from doing their jobs and eventually ousted their adviser. The Youngtown Edition’s Editor-in-Chief Alexa Wyszkowski, Managing Editor… Continue reading College journalists in New Jersey describe years of “intimidation, harassment, threats” by administrators
NEW JERSEY — A 150-year-old student newspaper at Rutgers University says it plans to continue publishing despite school funding being cut until at least the 2022-23 academic year. The Daily Targum faces a referendum every three years where at least 25 percent of Rutgers students must vote to approve funding the newspaper for the following… Continue reading Rutgers newspaper moving forward without school funding
The New Voices movement has made significant strides in 2019, with a record number of state bills (11) introduced, and two measures adopted in Arkansas to strengthen protections for student journalists. New Voices is a student-powered nonpartisan grassroots movement of state-based advocates who seek to protect student press freedom with state laws. These laws counteract… Continue reading New Voices bills see success and defeat in 2019 state legislative sessions
NEW JERSEY — The New Jersey Senate Education Committee unanimously voted in favor of a New Voices bill after hearing testimony from student journalists and advocates. The bill heads to the Senate floor next. S1176 was sponsored by state senators Nia Gill (D) and Shirley Turner (D) and co-sponsored by Michael Doherty (R) and Troy… Continue reading New Jersey New Voices bill unanimously passes Senate Education Committee
Cory Dawson: Since 1988, student reporters have lived under a Supreme Court ruling that gives school administrators vast control over what goes into their school’s newspapers. Since then, students, advocates and media advisers have worked to put press freedoms for student journalists into law by passing New Voices laws in 14 states. These laws protect… Continue reading PODCAST: New Voices advocates talk struggles and successes
More bills protecting the First Amendment rights of student journalists are moving through statehouses than ever before, according to a Student Press Law Center tally. The 11 bills are part of a nationwide effort to pass “New Voices” bills in state legislatures, which effectively counteract and clarify the limits of the 1988 Hazelwood School District… Continue reading A record number of states have introduced New Voices bills in 2019
In the opening days of the new year, bills were introduced in Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey and New York, with holdover bills reactivated in Minnesota and Washington.
