The New Voices anti-censorship movement is raising discussion about high school censorship and the autonomy of student journalists.
In 1988, the court case Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier ruled that student news publications could be censored by their school’s administrators for “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” In the 38 years since then, high school administrations remain unclear on the regulations surrounding student censorship.
Censorship of scholastic journalism has become an issue that impacts more than half of the student journalists in the United States. New Voices, a student-led grassroots organization, seeks to counteract the impact Kuhlmeier has on student press freedom by introducing censorship regulations at the state level, which 18 out of 50 states have already passed.
“Administrators feel like they have to make the decision that is best for all the students, and sometimes it is at the detriment of the media,” Stephanie Mellot, a Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) chaperone for Somerville High School in Somerville, South Carolina, said, “The piece that’s missing is there’s no conversation, it’s just dictated. If there was a conversation, it might be more palatable. It’s about communication. (That’s) definitely the way to make censorship not a bad word.”
Parties interested in starting or supporting a New Voices chapter for their state can familiarize themselves with previous student censorship cases, contact the Student Press Law Center’s New Voices Advocacy and Organizing Team and open conversation with their state legislators, something that Bullitt East High School senior Emma Johnson has strived to involve herself in.
“Our New Voices chapter went to Frankfurt, (South Carolina) a couple weeks ago and met with our sponsor on our Senate bill. We talked to different senators that weren’t necessarily in support of our bill, (and) that was an interesting conversation to have with him,” Johnson said. “I (want South Carolina to introduce New Voices because) I think that it’s really important for students to have a voice, especially on controversial topics.”
name by ODYSSEY Media Group
A slideshow shows high school journalism students and chaperones at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association in Columbia, South Carolina on March 7. Media Tech advisor Stella McCombs explained her take on censorship in journalism in her community. “I don’t want to censor just because something might be uncomfortable. I think it’s important for our school community that students can express themselves honestly,” McCombs said. Slideshow by Merren Hines, photos by Henry Cain
Censorship is also an issue present at the national level, such as in United States president Donald Trump’s efforts to remove select news agency access to the White House. For Stratford High School senior Issabella Montoya, this increases the importance of the New Voices anti-censorship effort.
“Especially with the current circumstances politically in the country, there’s a lot of people getting silenced or getting punished for speaking out,” Montoya said. “There’s been a lot of campaigns and protests going on to protect those rights. I’ve seen a lot of people advocating (online). It’s important because it’s a really big thing. It’s (doesn’t) just (affect) student journalists.”
For Northeast High School student Nora Turner, student journalists with tolerant administration have a responsibility to assist their peers in anti-censorship advocacy in addition to reaching out to legislators, contacting student press organizations and learning about censorship cases.
“Just because (censorship) doesn’t impact us personally doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact our fellow journalists (in) other places in the country and the world,” Turner said. “We need to (write) more stories about it, use our (administrative) lenience to our advantage and help out other school districts who can’t use that so much.”
