Targeting & Censorship of Student Journalists
After years of demonization, the targeting of journalists—including student journalists—has reached a fever pitch. But student journalists refuse to be cowed. In 2020 they faced down administrators, community members and even police, fighting for their free press rights and ultimately, for the truth.
Journalism in the Time of COVID
The education system in our country was upended by COVID-19, and the entire school experience was reimagined. Student journalists stepped up in a major way to cover this shift, uncover and disseminate public health information, and tell the stories of the myriad ways their classmates and community were affected.
Reckoning with Racial Justice
Student journalists tell the stories of racism and the fight for racial justice in their schools, but student journalists of color also have to cope with racism aimed at them. In addition to extensively covering the racial justice protests of summer 2020, students also exposed racism and discrimination in their own schools and communities.
Elevating Civic Engagement
In 2020, student journalists covered monumentally historic elections and played a critical role in helping young people push back against voter suppression, obtain accurate information, and make their voices and votes count. This kind of accountability and public service journalism also provides students with incomparable hands-on civics education.