Our words matter. We don’t need the government to tell us they don’t, but as we face an onslaught of restrictions, we have to wonder about the fate of student journalism. Even so, we have the power to spark change, and as the Pathfinder Editorial Board, we have already done so in each opinion piece critiquing government policy, news piece reporting student-led protests or feature article telling the story of students or teachers who overcame injustice. Journalism has transformed us into activists — not just for ourselves, but for the people who deserve a voice. 

Worldwide and throughout history, journalism has often been a loud, powerful force for social and political change. Our nation has been built upon journalism. During the American Revolution, newspapers and pamphlets mobilized resistance against British control. Thereafter, the Federalist Papers, published in newspapers, helped defend the Constitution, thus changing the function of government. In the 1880s to 1910s, the “Progressive Era,” muckrakers — journalists who exposed corporate and political corruption — fought for reform in businesses and the government. Time and time again, journalists have informed the public, challenged power and succeeded in protecting democracy.

However, as of late, journalism as a whole, especially student journalism, is under attack. Around the world, 128 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, with over 500 journalists currently held in prisons. Some are killed because of a lack of protection while covering in conflict zones, while others are deliberately targeted to silence investigations and exposure. The RSF World Press Freedom Index evaluates journalists’ abilities to “report independently without political, economic, legal or social interference and threats to their safety” across 180 countries. For the first time in its history, they identified the global state of press freedom as a “difficult situation.” 

They further specify that the United States is “experiencing its first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in modern history.” Last year, the Pathfinder explored these issues in our editorial, “The Fight for the First: Protecting student journalists across the country,” which examined the fight for the freedom of the press amidst changes to White House press rules. When high-level reporters experienced significant challenges to their coverage, it set an example for us as student journalists — that we need to fight tooth and nail for the stories we wish to cover. Since then, threats to press freedoms have spread, further targeting local student journalists. 

The Student Press Law Center (SPLC), an organization dedicated to addressing legal concerns in student media, has seen a 24% increase in censorship reports from 2024 to 2025. Attacks on student journalism include the firing of numerous media advisers, funding cuts and students receiving suspension or other disciplinary consequences. 

The constitutional right, protecting published student opinions from government censorship, is guaranteed by the First Amendment. In the Supreme Court case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, principal Robert E. Reynolds of Hazelwood East High School blocked the printing of two articles in the Spectrum — the school-sponsored newspaper — without informing student journalists. Reynolds had deemed the topics of teen pregnancy and divorce inappropriate for school purposes. After a district court ruling in favor of the school and the appellate court reversed the decision, the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the principal’s actions did not violate the students’ free speech rights. 

While the decision acknowledges that schools have editorial control over student press, it also states that censorship must be “reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.” Fear of dissent and backlash is not a legitimate justification to censor student publications. Regardless of the circumstances, schools and the government have continued to censor students. As a result, six major national student media advisory organizations, Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Association (CMA), Journalism Education Association (JEA), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Quill & Scroll and SPLC came together to issue a warning in April 2025. The warning came after a Tufts University journalist was detained by ICE agents in an alleged act of retaliation after she co-authored a piece in the Tufts Daily critical of her university’s response to Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. The six organizations called on student publications to revise long-standing practices regarding takedown and anonymity policies and educate on transparent sourcing and risk awareness, as even lawful speech is being retaliated against.

Another effort to promote advocacy against censorship took place this past week, from Feb. 23-27, marking Scholastic Journalism Week. This year’s theme was “Press Under Pressure”; it was selected with the aim of guiding students to support democracy by reporting fearlessly, even under pressure — a challenge that student journalists across the nation are tackling. Even when censorship is not overt, the threat of backlash can influence journalists’ decisions before a story is even written. This phenomenon, known as self-censorship, can be just as damaging to free expression as direct suppression. Journalism adviser Lindsey Katz observes this growing concern in student media.

“The thing that I fear the most is really about student self-censorship,” Katz said. “That’s the basic level of journalists feeling afraid to pursue a story. [Students] have an idea of what to cover, but that idea never leaves the hat and gets set into motion because of that self-censorship. So when a story doesn’t even start to get told, that is what I’m actually afraid of the most for journalism.”

Censorship in all forms, both self-induced and by an outside group, harms journalists from carrying out their responsibilities in providing fair and unbiased information. Preserving the rights of student journalists is vital to our democracy because it amplifies the voices of one of the most active forces of change. As accelerators of reform worldwide, students have historically sparked major confrontations against oppressive governments. In 1989, Chinese students gathered in what became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre to demand political reform and greater freedoms in China. When the Chinese government tried to suppress and erase the event, foreign reporters smuggled out pictures and reported the story to the world, resulting in the iconic “Tank Man” photo. During the Arab Spring of the early 2010s, what began as protests in Tunisia against the authoritarian government spread like wildfire as students utilized social media to spread images, videos and firsthand accounts; these efforts inspired protests in numerous other countries such as Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

Student journalism’s pivotal and unique role has been clear in times of controversy and conflict — it is young people like us who have filled the gaps in mainstream media controlled by regulations, editors and shareholders. During the 1960s, when mainstream news outlets were wary of covering the civil rights movement and protests against the Vietnam War, student papers led the way, offering an uncensored alternative unlike any other media. 

Even today, at universities where individuals with varied socioeconomic conditions, religions and beliefs gather, student journalism allows for marginalized groups to be brought to light. While in traditional media, 76% of journalists are white, at college campuses, 41% of students identify as nonwhite. It is within this young, diverse community that stigmatized topics like racism, LGBTQ+ campus life, first-generation student struggles and local activism are more commonly covered.

Student journalism has proved to be pivotal locally as well. On Feb. 10, Parkway West’s students followed the precedent of student activism and protested the recent actions of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a student-led walkout. Championing the phrase “Ice Out,” nationwide student-led protests came after the violent actions of ICE swept the country. This is not the first student-led assembly at Parkway West over the years. From 2014 to 2020, students led protests for gun regulation, against racial inequality following the shooting of Michael Brown, climate change awareness and both for and against the mask policy during the COVID pandemic. 

Pathfinder student journalists have played a crucial role in covering these events and providing unbiased information — a responsibility that was upheld weeks ago with coverage of the ICE protest. Being aware of the issues of censorship across the nation, our journalists were careful and deliberate in approaching coverage of the protest. Before the protests, members of our editorial board communicated with Principal John McCabe to ensure mutual understanding of Pathfinder’s rights to report. We also consulted SPLC for professional guidance on our press rights. Throughout the reporting process, staff prioritized neutrality and transparency — not only to inform the community, but also to protect our journalists in the event of a possible challenge.

“I’m so proud of Pathfinder journalists, because they really, at the heart, try to report in the most ethical way, using integrity, minimizing harm, being accountable [and] asking really good questions. [They] are committed to the growth of learning more, not just about a topic, an issue or an event, but learning more about how to become even stronger journalists. I think professionals are built when they’re under pressure, and I have seen professionals being made and born in the journalism program here because of tough decisions and having to navigate conversations [and] decision-making. It’s phenomenal to see,” Katz said.

As misinformation becomes more widespread, student journalism should serve as a dependable first source of knowledge for the community. Many students no longer trust mainstream news —  84% report distrust due to unethical conduct by some publications, leaving a growing gap in reliable information. That makes student reporting fundamental, not just to inform, but to rebuild trust by providing accurate, transparent and responsible journalism.

Kristen Collins teaches Challenges to Democracy — a class for students interested in how democracies function and thrive. By engaging in discussion about individual liberties and understanding how governments work, the class explores patterns in conflicts and the solutions that have helped preserve peace.

“I teach a lot about untold stories, and without journalists telling these stories, we, the public, won’t know about them,” Collins said. “It’s important for [journalists] to tell stories of what’s happening in our community [and] what’s happening here. A lot of times, I think students and adults live in [their] own bubble, and unless we are exposed to information, then we stay in that bubble.”

While the government, schools and higher authorities have censored student media in an attempt to quell controversy and backlash, censorship ignores and tries to suppress student activism, rather than engaging with it healthily. Because freedom of the press concerns an institution, like a news outlet, that has the potential to influence the public, it is often subject to greater legal liability and restriction than freedom of speech. However, when the media is blocked, and student protests continue, it can have dangerous consequences. 

Student activism can only be a positive force if it is guided by deep awareness and knowledge of a situation — this comes from student journalism. We, as journalists, can guide students in acting on real facts instead of rumors or emotional impulses that risk the spread of bias and the escalation of conflict. Violence and hate, so common in the modern world, are caused by a lack of understanding and a refusal to hear the other side. Journalism opens the way for true democratic participation that is both peaceful and based on reason.

Censorship often suppresses the voices of more than journalists, but also the individuals journalists are advocating for. News reporting validates the efforts of those speaking out, giving them a platform to be heard and acknowledged by their peers and the community. Too often, students speak out, but it seems that no one takes notice. However, unlike mainstream media, student journalism focuses specifically on the student perspective, ensuring that the concerns, ideas and actions of young people are represented. When students see that their actions are noticed and taken seriously, they are more likely to engage in civic life responsibly and with a purpose.

“I think making people aware of issues is the journalist’s job and teaching young people how [they] can make [their] voice heard. I think a lot of times, young people feel like ‘my vote doesn’t matter.’ I don’t want young people disenfranchised. I want them to feel like they can participate, and their voices are heard somehow,” Collins said.

In today’s society, full of political extremism and division, violence and hate are more common than respect for different opinions. It’s become easier to fall within two extremes: ignorance or violence. But journalists force conversations into the open and create spaces for people to express opposing views, challenge one another and engage without tearing opponents down. These are key factors in creating a healthy democracy and making the new generation better than the world today. Journalists build up the new generation of society, word by word. We do more than report. Our legacy changes society.