More than ever, student journalists must be on the lookout for censorship
In 2019, FIRE released “Under Pressure: The Warning Signs of Student Press Censorship,” a report documenting FIRE’s advocacy for student journalists’ rights and the threats they face. With over two decades spent defending campus free expression, FIRE has seen firsthand that student journalists are often the immediate line of defense against administrations intent on violating student and faculty rights — and sometimes, they pay the price for it.
Today, for Student Press Freedom Day, we’re revisiting some of the student press cases FIRE had fielded since the report’s release and the warning signs they illustrate to remind student journalists how to identify, and stay vigilant against, potential censorship. (For more information about Student Press Freedom Day, see the Student Press Law Center’s list of events and resources, and join us today at 1:30 p.m. ET for a panel discussion about student press censorship.)