Myesha Phukan is an advocacy intern for the Student Press Law Center and a co-winner of the 2024 Courage in Student Journalism Award. If someone asked me what New Voices was three years ago, I would have looked at them with a blank expression. Now, if the same person asked me that same question today,… Continue reading Why I joined SPLC: An intern’s perspective on defending the student press
Student journalists, educators and other advocates of student journalism, including an attorney from the Student Press Law Center, testified Feb. 11 at a hearing of Missouri’s House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education in support of HB 2918.
Utah’s House Education Committee has tabled the state’s New Voices bill for now, but committee members spoke favorably about student press protections in a Jan. 27 hearing. They also demonstrated willingness to work on the bill, one of the first New Voices introductions in Utah.
So far in the 2026 legislative session, six states have introduced New Voices bills to undo the effects of Hazelwood, while advocates in other states are looking to follow.
A Student Press Law Center analysis this fall found that many school districts in Iowa and West Virginia fail to fully comply with state laws protecting student journalists’ rights, leaving them vulnerable to censorship despite legal safeguards.
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.
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.
