By Zorian Edwards, Editor-In-Chief
Disclaimer: This is intended to give general information on Student Press Freedom Day and promote an Insight event.
Daemen’s Insight is celebrating the ninth annual Student Press Freedom Day with a tabling event in the RIC atrium. Members will be passing out further information about student press freedom, pins, library materials and more.
What is Student Press Freedom Day?
Student Press Freedom Day is held annually on the last Thursday of February near the anniversary of the Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, which took place on Feb. 24, 1969.
“First Amendment rights are available to teachers and students, subject to application in light of the special characteristics of the school environment,” the case states. “A prohibition against expression of opinion, without any evidence that the rule is necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others, is not permissible under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”
It is because of this Supreme Court case that student journalists have the ability to cover events because their constitutional right to free speech isn’t determined by the school they go to.
Students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” the case states.
Each year, SPLC (Student Press Law Center) sets the theme for the day. This year’s theme is “Resilience in Action.”
“This year’s Student Press Freedom Day theme, Resilience in Action, celebrates the ways that student journalists pivot, push forward and raise their voices — even as censorship, intimidation and legal threats escalate,” SPLC stated on its website. “Student Press Freedom Day is a call to show up. It will take all of us — students, educators, advocates and community members alike — to ensure student journalists have the protections they need to continue their critical work.”
Student journalists around the country share their stories of how they covered hardship, information on Student Press Freedom Day and more. It highlights why student journalists and student opinion are important, as well as providing a sense of community.
To learn more information about Student Press Freedom Day and how it applies to you as a student, please visit the Insight’s table on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the RIC atrium at 11:30 a.m.