Don’t be afraid: Standing up for student press freedom is worth it
As a student, standing up to authority figures is difficult. We’re taught from a young age to
respect our elders, listen to our teachers and follow the rules. But sometimes, school
administrators try to take advantage of our willingness to do as we’re told — especially with
student journalists and their publications. While it’s undoubtedly scary to stand up to your
principal if they try to censor you, trust me, it’s a battle worth fighting.
I spent my four years in high school dedicated to covering the news — through the written word,
photographs and videos. From in-depth investigations into my school district’s budget
discrepancies to photo essays covering President Joe Biden’s trips to my suburban Philadelphia
home, every story was important. And every story was worth telling.
My principal, however, did not always agree.
As a journalist, I wanted to learn information that no one else knew. And then I wanted to make
sure everyone knew it.
At the end of my freshman year, when I began reporting on my school’s lacking sex education
classes, I quickly encountered resistance. My principal questioned why I would want to expose
such weaknesses in our school. Though I was scared, I stood firm. “Because it’s the truth,” I told
her.
As a sophomore, I reported on lawsuits against my school district regarding mask mandates
and supposed First Amendment violations. Again, I found myself defending my right to report
the news. I was starting to learn that journalism is not just about writing stories; it’s about
standing up for the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Telling my principal that she was wrong — that she was violating the law and unjustly hindering
my First Amendment rights — was no easy feat. But it was my senior year that tested me the
most. As the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, The Spoke, I was tasked with
publishing the “Senior Destinations Map,” a longstanding tradition that chronicled the post-high
school plans of my school’s graduating class.
Just as I began news gathering, my principal called me to her office and told me that The Spoke
could no longer publish the map, going as far as threatening the employment of the paper’s
faculty advisers if we were to do so. Even though the seniors voluntarily gave information about
their post-high school plans, my principal expressed concerns that publicizing the information
was invasive and would cause students emotional distress.
Her concerns were understandable. But they were only a piece of the puzzle. I consulted with
attorneys at the Student Press Law Center, who helped me understand that as a purely legal
matter, my principal had crossed the line by attempting to control non-disruptive content despite
by Ben Shapiro, 2024 PA Student Journalist of the Year and National Finalist
students having editorial control of the publication up to that point. Together, we sent a letter to
my principal explaining why her threats to censor The Spoke violated the law.
Standing up to my principal wasn’t easy. I feared the repercussions for my academic standing,
position in the newspaper and chances at college admissions. But I knew that if I didn’t fight
back, I’d be allowing censorship to take root in my school.
In the end, my principal conceded. She let The Spoke’s editorial board make the journalistic
decisions we saw fit for the paper. The student editors compromised by publishing the map
without individual names, and while it wasn’t my ideal outcome, it was a victory for student press
freedom. It was a reminder that student journalists should be the sole decision-makers of
content in their publications — not their teachers, principals or superintendents.
Every student journalist facing censorship needs to know that their voice matters. Standing up
for your right to report the truth is crucial, not just for yourself, but for the democratic values we
hold dear. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, you might face pushback. But the alternative — a world where
the truth is silenced — is far scarier.
So, when you find yourself facing pressure to stay silent, remember that you’re not just fighting
for your story; you’re fighting for the right of every student to speak their truth. And who knows, it
might actually help your chances at college admissions and make the perfect essay in the end.