On Thursday, Feb. 27, “Student Press Freedom Day,” will be celebrated by Delta College’s Digital Media and Journalism department in the Quad from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
A variety of promotional swag will be handed out by those representing the Collegian and KWDC Radio to support and encourage conversation around the rights of student press freedom and the need to protect the rights of those in High School and Collegiate level Journalism.
“This is the first time we’ve ever tabled in the Quad for Student Press Freedom Day, but we feel like this is a really critical time to remind our campus community about the value of a free press,” said Tara Cuslidge-Staiano, adviser to The Collegian, “Collegian is produced by the students, for the students. Sometimes that means we’re covering things that the institution might deem unflattering and that’s OK.”
It is considered a National Day of Action, originally organized by the Student Press Law Center to bring more public awareness towards the importance and value that student journalists bring to the profession and its need to be shown continual outward support.
Additionally, it is a day meant to encourage those in student journalism to get well versed on their legal rights and to call upon their communities to engage with their elected officials and demand better protection and restoration of student press freedom.
“During this Trump era, I think it’s important for students to call for action, especially, when it comes to reporting on what’s going on,” said Collegian co-Editor-in-Chief Jelissa King. “With DEI removals, department of education being under attack and anti-immigration; it’s important to inform the public during an unprecedented time.”
The theme for this year’s celebration is “At the Forefront,” following the previous year’s theme of “Powerfully Persistent.”
Each theme is meant to represent the value of the work that student journalists contribute and their efforts to bring attention to important issues.
These yearly calls to action were created in direct response to the Supreme court ruling of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988), that left student journalists with less First Amendment protections than those writing for professional independent publications.
It was a controversial case that began when a former principal of Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri, took issue with a special teen section in the student newspaper that covered the impact of divorce on teen’s along with the controversial issue of teen pregnancy. The principal censored the issue ultimately leading to the student staff suing.
Today, only 16 states, including California, have enacted policies that counter Hazelwood, since its ruling leaving countless student journalists at high school and collegiate levels with an excess of overreach in control of their rights to free speech.
The push to fight for all student press and their advisors’ rights to free speech and freedom of the press continue to be supported through promotional events and providing resources through the Student Press Law Center’s website, SPLC.org.
“We will be tabling from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Quad for this event. Collegian and KWDC will be handing out swag, including the recent edition of the newspaper, and talking to students about why they should be reading our products. We hope to get Collegian in the hands of students who may never have read it before. We also hope to affirm our value to students who have read it. We hope students will come pick up a pin or sticker that say, ‘Support Student Journalism’ and they will do just that,” said Cuslidge-Staiano.
