Students should have the freedom to write and report on topics of their choosing, but this right is becoming increasingly restricted. Our First Amendment rights are under active threat, and we need to take action to protect them.
The New Voices movement is a student initiative that has gained traction in many states. According to the Student Press Law Center, bills have been introduced in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and more campaigns are being initiated as time goes on. Student journalists and their advisors are working with state legislatures to enact laws that protect student press freedom. Even if you aren’t a journalist, don’t you want the ability to express your opinions, knowing that your media is protected and that you will be treated equally among your peers?
Many people are unaware of the challenges journalists face daily, but Jim Rodenbush, a student media advisor at Indiana University, was paying attention. According to The Setonian, Rodenbush was fired from his position for refusing to censor certain stories that were intended for the Indiana Daily Student, the college’s publication. After Rodenbush declined the university’s request to impose censorship, the university, which funds the Indiana Daily Student, completely stopped its print issues. Students should have the freedom to write about any topic without fear of repercussions. While backlash can occur, facing challenges and standing up for your beliefs is part of being a journalist.
Last school year, students at Chandler High School worked toward passing a New Voices bill in the Arizona state legislature. Mr. Jason Davis, a former teacher at Chandler and a board member for the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association, collaborated with students across our campus to draft letters to Arizona state lawmakers in an effort to get the bill passed. The bill was co-sponsored by several lawmakers, and eventually reached the committee stage, a point in the legislative process where a small group of lawmakers closely reviewed and edited it. Unfortunately, the bill didn’t get past that point.
While to many this may seem like an impossible task, according to splc.org, 19 states have passed laws to protect student press freedom. If 19 states can pass these laws, it is feasible to support them as they move through the legislative process as opportunities arise.
