Please join us in celebrating Student Press Freedom Day 2023 (Feb. 23), a national day of action to celebrate the contributions of student journalists and the need to support their independence without censorship or threat to their advisers.

The theme for Student Press Freedom Day — sponsored by the Student Press Law Center —  is “Bold Journalism and Brave Advocacy.” As the SPLC puts it:

“It takes courage to pursue hard truths, to doggedly investigate important stories, to fight back against censorship, to withstand pressures to self-censor, and to advocate for policies and laws that will protect press freedom for future students. Student journalists do this difficult work every day — and their campuses and communities are stronger for it.

“That’s why this year, we’re bringing together the student media community to learn new journalistic and advocacy skills, to work creatively to overcome censorship and other barriers, and to inspire each other to courageously fight for student press freedom. We’re bolder and braver together!”

Another way for California students and advisers to celebrate Student Press Freedom Day is to direct your students back to one of our highlights of the year —  when Pearl Post Adviser Adriana Chavira and her former students spoke before 400 of us at NorCal Media Day in September.

This moment of peak pride for student journalists and advisers celebrated the maximal deployment of the “Journalism Teacher Protection Act,” Section G of  California Education Code 48907. If you haven’t seen the video, or if you just would like to refresh your memory of this great event, have a look here.

Other ideas from the SPLC include:

• Participate in expert-led training workshops, an op-ed coaching program, student-led community forums, and a letter writing party on behalf of New Voices.
• Get creative and plan your own Student Press Freedom Day activities! Your involvement is what makes the day truly impactful.
• The best way to stay in the loop about all the exciting ways to get involved this year is by signing up for Student Press Freedom Day email updates. You’ll get first access to event registration, talking points, a toolkit, and more!

More from the SPLC: “The Student Press Law Center created Student Press Freedom Day to give student journalists a platform to advocate for press freedom in their communities. We support the advocates with our legal and policy expertise, by educating them on their rights, and through our toolkit, designed to make hosting an event as easy as possible. Join us Feb. 23, 2023 for Student Press Freedom Day!”