Incoming junior Olivia O’Neal was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for best in-depth reporting at schools with 10,000 or fewer students for her powerful story on Afghan evacuees living in Indiana. The Student Press Law Center was proud to arrange free, pre-publication legal vetting for the piece.
The Student Press Law Center guided students at the University of Florida before they published reporting on the connection between chemicals and Parkinson’s disease.
The Student Press Law Center supported the Indiana Daily Student’s staff and advising team before, during and after the university exerted control over the students’ reporting.
The Student Press Law Center’s trainings and legal resources equip student journalists to navigate the law, report with confidence and stand up for press freedom.
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.
After LASD officers assaulted and detained Pablo Unzueta, he connected with SPLC's legal team to secure pro bono aid and fight for justice.
When school admin attempted to censor their yearbook and halt distribution, The Greyhound staff contacted SPLC for help and fought back.
After discovering Olympia School District was not in compliance with New Voices legislation, the Student Press Law Center stepped in to help.
