Events

Host Your Own Event!

In addition to joining events and workshops hosted by the Student Press Law Center and our partners, consider creating your own event! Check out this helpful guide to get started:

Student Press Rights Affirmation for Private and Independent Schools

Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. ET
Brought to you by the Private School Journalism Association

Join us to chat about standing up for your rights as a student journalist in private and independent schools with PSJA’s Model Affirmation of Student Free Expression Rights! Modeled after the New Voices movement, this session covers what the Model Affirmation is, what it protects (student editorial independence with clear limits), and how schools can adopt it and receive recognition.

The State of Student Press Freedom

Friday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. ET / 1 PT
Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

Amid escalating censorship, intimidation and legal threats, student journalists continue to shine a light on the truth and tell stories no one else can. Join this virtual discussion to hear directly from student editors about the state of student press freedom in 2026.

The discussion includes editors from the Indiana Daily Student and Lowell High School, and moderated by Cate Charron, First Amendment reporter at the Indianapolis Star.

woman reading magazine

New Voices Texas: Censorship & Why Student Voices Matter

Saturday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central
Brought to you by the New Voices Texas coalition but open to all

Student journalists across the country face pressure, censorship and quite a few challenges when trying to publish stories. This webinar will host guest speakers and address the topic of what censorship looks like in schools, why student journalists’ voices matter, and how students can protect their right to publish freely.

Join us for a conversation about press freedom, real-life experiences and steps that you can take when facing censorship.

Past Recorded Events

Student Press Freedom 101

Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

Before you advocate for advancing student press freedom, learn where things stand now and how we got here. Join this crash course on the law of the student press led by SPLC’s Senior Legal Counsel Mike Hiestand, who has been working with student journalists since 1989, and including a special appearance by Cathy Kuhlmeier, one of the student journalists who brought Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

Op-Ed Boot Camp

Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

Op-eds are one great way to raise awareness about issues affecting student journalists in your state or community. Join this boot camp to take your op-ed writing and pitching skills to the next level by learning from Pratika Katiyar, a Gen Z journalist and advocate with op-eds published in CNN, Her Campus, The Sacramento Bee, and more.

Fighting for Our Rights: The Threats of AI & School Monitoring Software

Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

As high school seniors, Natasha Torkzaban, Morgan Salisbury and Jack Tell realized their school’s new AI-powered monitoring tool could put their reporting materials — including confidential sources and stories in progress — in the hands of administrators. Learn how they successfully stood up for their press freedom rights and how you can too.

The State of College Press Freedom 2025

Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

College journalists are at the forefront of covering some of today’s most important stories, but they also face unprecedented challenges. Join us to hear about some of those challenges and how you can help. Featuring Charlotte Hampton, The Dartmouth (who was arrested last spring while covering a protest); Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez, The Retrograde (who was fired as editor by UT Dallas and then led his staff to launch an alternative paper); Nathan Elias, the Daily Trojan (which has faced funding cuts at USC); and moderated by Emily Bloch, The Philadelphia Inquirer and national president, Society of Professional Journalists.

College photo journalist takes photos of a protest.
person touching open macbook on table

Digital Dangers

Protecting Against Online Harassment

Student Press Freedom Day 2024
Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

Student journalists are increasingly contending with the threat of online harassment, which attempts to intimidate them into silence. Learn from those who know first-hand the tools available to protect and support yourself (or your students). Featuring Taylor Lorenz, technology columnist at The Washington Post; Sarah Swetlik, The Greenville News; and Pratika Katiyar, SPLC student board member.

Powerful & Persistent Reporting

Student Press Freedom Day 2024
Brought to you by the Student Press Law Center

Journalists must constantly overcome roadblocks to their reporting, and that includes student journalists publishing critical, in-depth stories from campus and beyond. Join us as Katelyn Polantz, CNN’s senior reporter on crime and justice; Majlie de Puy Kamp, CNN investigative reporter; and Betul Tuncer, editor-in-chief of The Pitt News at the University of Pittsburgh share their experiences and advice for student journalists battling access issues and wanting to take their reporting to the next level.

pile of folders

Inside the Fight for Public Records

A training session by and for student journalists in California

Student Press Freedom Day 2024
Brought to you by the First Amendment Coalition

Join us for a skill-building webinar designed by and for student journalists on how to use public records to tell important stories. The one-hour session features (1) examples of real-world reporting you can replicate at your high school or college, (2) a tutorial on how to successfully write and submit your first records request, and (3) an introduction to open-government resources available to you! This webinar is designed for high school and college student journalists and their allies, with a specific focus on the California Public Records Act.

Student Journalists in the Fight Against Disinformation

Student Press Freedom Day 2024
Brought to you by PEN America’s Journalism & Disinformation Program

How does campus gossip become a national news story? In this one-hour presentation, PEN America explains disinformation tactics, share online verification tips and tools from working journalists, and offer ways that student reporters can counter false narratives before they spread.

portrait photo of woman holding up a magnifying glass over her eye

Data-Driven Coverage of Press Freedom

Student Press Freedom Day 2024
Brought to you by the Freedom of the Press Foundation

Join Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) for a virtual training on using the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker for your reporting and a discussion of why covering press freedom issues matters for journalists and their readers.