Free legal help and info for student journalists. Champion of their First Amendment rights. 🏛️ Legal Hotline: SPLC.org/legalhelp ✉️ Subscribe: SPLC.org/newsletter 🤝 Support student press freedom: SPLC.org/donatehttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mvkmgk65xy2i25 students, 15 states, one mission. Our seventh annual New Voices Student Leaders Institute may have wrapped up this summer, but the students' yearlong advocacy has just begun. Read their reflections on what comes next 👇 https://loom.ly/D9Yj3Bg https://splc.org/2026/09/splc-institute-trains-students-to-lead-press-freedom-fights/15 Sep 2026 12:22 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkmgk65xy2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mvi4n2wkgm26The Guardian explored how high schoolers dealing with threats to their reporting are increasingly calling in legal backup from the Student Press Law Center. Through our hotline, censorship-related requests were up 17% last school year compared to the prior year. 📰⚖️ https://loom.ly/VaMlrCs https://www.theguardian.com/law/ng-interactive/2026/sep/04/high-school-journalism-splc14 Sep 2026 12:34 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvi4n2wkgm26https://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3muz2h7ty7j2hOur executive director recently joined the Mission Forward podcast to talk about SPLC's two speeds: urgent and patient. We practice this patient urgency every day by answering today's crisis, while building toward student press freedom in all 50 states. 🎧 Listen here: https://loom.ly/3h3ES8U08 Sep 2026 12:45 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3muz2h7ty7j2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mumkxt4o3i2kNEWS: A large student media coalition filed an amicus brief yesterday warning the 11th Circuit that student press freedom is at stake in its review of the University of Alabama’s decision to close two magazines because they focused on women and Black students. See the brief: https://loom.ly/HvPcNsk03 Sep 2026 13:36 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumkxt4o3i2khttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3muhh6rt2vl2x📣 We're proud to announce that longtime media lawyer Melissa Bevan Melewsky will join SPLC on Sept. 28 as our first legal director. She brings her expertise supporting journalists at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association to the fight for student press freedom. Read more: https://loom.ly/qUcQeTQ01 Sep 2026 12:45 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhh6rt2vl2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mufjzchpdt2hA federal judge ruled Friday that the government can't use immigration law to punish or silence international students — including journalists — for protected speech. It's a major win for the Stanford Daily and the First Amendment. Read more: https://loom.ly/K3e9tzc31 Aug 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufjzchpdt2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3muevvn4xo42sWith SPLC’s support, incoming Franklin College junior Olivia O’Neal published an award-winning story about Afghan evacuees living in Indiana. Read how SPLC’s pre-publication review services help students gain extra confidence in their work. 🔗 https://loom.ly/u9LPp9A https://splc.org/2026/08/with-splcs-backing-franklin-college-students-produce-nationally-recognized-journalism-for-indiana-residents/31 Aug 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3muevvn4xo42shttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mu2ula5fdy2iWant to make a difference for student press freedom this fall? Apply to be SPLC's inaugural Rosalind G. Stark intern! This paid internship is open to law and journalism students and offers hands-on experience. Reviews begin Aug. 31, so don’t wait. Learn more and apply: https://loom.ly/g5foqzo https://splc.org/2026/08/rosalind-g-stark-student-press-freedom-internship-fall-2026/27 Aug 2026 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu2ula5fdy2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtystujn3k2j“SIUE has met our concerns with apparent indifference,” said a second letter sent by SPLC and FIRE. We are requesting a substantive response to the university’s “non-negotiable” insistence to sit in on interviews between SIUE staff and reporters at The Alestle. Read it: https://loom.ly/aSiLk2s https://splc.org/2026/08/splc-fire-renew-demand-for-siue-officials-to-end-mandatory-monitoring-of-student-press-interviews/26 Aug 2026 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtystujn3k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtygws7xwb24Educators, do you plan to teach your students about the law this year? Let us do it! Did you know you can invite an SPLC attorney into your classroom or newsroom (virtually & for free 🤠) to give a presentation on a media-law topic of your choice? 🔗 https://splc.org/speakers/26 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtygws7xwb24https://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtvwhqfchz2uStudent journalists in Virginia are looking to secure student press freedom protections in 2027. Read the full story below. https://loom.ly/X6llYRo https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-06-25/student-journalists-hope-general-assembly-will-take-up-new-voices-act-next-year25 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtvwhqfchz2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mttfyilt3a2oEven before IU fired him last fall, Jim Rodenbush and many others have turned to the SPLC Legal Hotline during times of uncertainty. Read how SPLC helped him and the Indiana Daily Student editors respond to administrative pressure and restore their print edition. 🔗 https://loom.ly/WhVUdXQ 24 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttfyilt3a2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtlulwsz5x2uReporting on a story and need help getting the info you need? Simply describe what records you’re looking for, and we’ll create a formal letter with legal citations that you can send to your local or state government agency. 🔗 https://loom.ly/oTOZvKo21 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlulwsz5x2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtja72r2kn2rHow can students build civic resilience amid AI and declining trust in news? Help us explain at SXSW EDU that educators & press freedom advocates can teach all students to think like journalists & support New Voices so young people can take part in civic life. 🗳️ Vote: https://loom.ly/ZefdG0g20 Aug 2026 12:20 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtja72r2kn2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mthcu7wj772jCNN's Jake Tapper spoke with student journalists Ben Mueller and Madison Bishop about how their reporting on the Epstein files sparked controversy and censorship from school officials. We were proud to help these students as they stood up for their free press rights. https://loom.ly/V3716gQ https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/us/video/high-school-newspapers-report-on-epstein-files-triggers-free-speech-fight-the-lead-jake-tapper19 Aug 2026 18:02 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mthcu7wj772jhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtgrdz7m2v2uWelcome back, students and educators! No matter what this new school year brings, know we are here for you. We have the legal resources and trainings you need to share your stories with confidence and courage. Check out all of our back-to-school resources at https://splc.org/back-to-school/19 Aug 2026 12:49 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgrdz7m2v2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mteam3ncqz2xJoin the SPLC team this fall as the inaugural Stark Student Press Freedom Intern! ✨ This paid internship for a law or journalism student is supported by a new endowment established in honor of former SPLC chair Rosalind Stark. Reviews begin Aug. 31. Learn more and apply: https://loom.ly/g5foqzo https://splc.org/2026/08/rosalind-g-stark-student-press-freedom-internship-fall-2026/18 Aug 2026 12:44 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mteam3ncqz2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mtbsqd2x3m2cA Texas principal deleted their photos of a student walkout, but two student journalists didn’t let it silence them. Unfortunately, their story is part of a larger pattern. ICE-related walkouts were the largest subject of censorship reported to our Legal Hotline this year. https://loom.ly/te5WQv0 https://splc.org/2026/06/deleted-photos-silenced-voices-ice-walkouts-most-censored-story-of-the-year/17 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbsqd2x3m2chttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3msxv5gvkqn2e"Non-negotiable." That's how an SIUE official described the requirement that she be present at interviews between staff and student reporters at The Alestle. SPLC and FIRE sent SIUE a joint letter demanding an end to the practice. Read it: https://loom.ly/9GimwNQ https://splc.org/2026/08/splc-fire-call-on-siue-to-end-media-minder-practice/13 Aug 2026 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3msxv5gvkqn2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3msv554lydz25Before students at the University of Florida published a series on the link between chemical exposure and Parkinson’s disease, SPLC provided free legal vetting. From our new Impact Report, learn more about this SPLC service that empowers essential, complex reporting: 🔗 https://loom.ly/NOCxjto12 Aug 2026 12:32 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3msv554lydz25https://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mssml4sup722🗳️ We need your vote! SPLC and our partners @newslit.org and @presspassnyc.bsky.social have proposed a session for SXSW EDU 2027. Help us share a message of news literacy and press freedom! Vote today: https://loom.ly/ZefdG0g https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw27/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1785002960917001riW111 Aug 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssml4sup722https://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3msg2q46idi2oWe're proud to announce a new endowed fund honoring former SPLC board chair Rosalind “Roz” Stark that will permanently support paid internships for the next generation of student journalists and press freedom advocates. Learn more: https://loom.ly/vgOLjLs Apply: https://loom.ly/g5foqzo06 Aug 2026 12:39 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3msg2q46idi2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3msdkgkvywz2p"The adults who care about students... should encourage them to speak up, to debate, and, yes, even to fail." That's the case three D.C. high school editors make in an Atlantic essay, arguing that society is quietly teaching a generation to stay quiet. Read more: https://loom.ly/3ySvpH0 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/high-school-students-free-speech-protest/688028/05 Aug 2026 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdkgkvywz2phttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3msazdxfuty2sIf you're in New Orleans for this week’s AEJMC 2026 Conference, come say hello! SPLC's Gary Green and Jonathan Gaston-Falk will be around to discuss your legal issues and questions, including in sessions and drop-in hours with our partners at the Center for Community News. #AEJMC2604 Aug 2026 12:31 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3msazdxfuty2shttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3ms6ipobf622pThis past school year, student journalists faced real legal risk, censorship and pressure to stay quiet. But they didn’t back down, and every step of the way, the Student Press Law Center was here to help. Read more in our Impact Report: http://splc.org/impact/ 03 Aug 2026 12:28 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6ipobf622phttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mrx2slqvbu2qCorallus Meeks, editor-in-chief of The Tattler, recently wrote an op-ed in support of New Voices legislation. “Democracy does not begin when someone turns eighteen and walks into a voting booth. It begins when children learn their voice wields power,” Meeks wrote. https://www.ithaca.com/opinion/guest_opinions/guest-opinion-democracy-begins-in-student-newsrooms/article_6fa694bd-7799-40c7-901e-e4d8b5699383.html31 Jul 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrx2slqvbu2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/splc.org/post/3mrutekbvdz2uWe're proud to welcome longtime journalist and academic administrator John Haskins to our board. Haskins spent more than three decades at The New York Times and five years as a dean at Columbia Journalism School. 🔗 Read the announcement: https://loom.ly/G8xzwls30 Jul 2026 16:12 +0000at://did:plc:2rmnaj2dvcghg3fs4d6bskpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrutekbvdz2u