Four things we hope you do in 2020

SPLC has lots of exciting plans here at the start of the new semester (and decade!) We hope you'll join us.

1. Participate in Student Press Freedom Day on Jan. 29

Now in its third year, Student Press Freedom Day (Jan. 29) is a national day of action to celebrate the important work of student journalists and to raise awareness of the need to protect and restore their First Amendment rights.

This year's theme for Student Press Freedom Day 2020 is “This is What Student Press Freedom Looks Like.”

You can get involved by:

Attending or tuning in for the livestream of "New Visions of the Future of Press Freedom" a panel of student journalists talking about press freedom hosted by our partners at the National Archives and moderated by professional journalist Joie Chen.
Writing an editorial based on the theme "This is What Student Press Freedom Looks Like." Send your op-eds to Danielle at ddieterich@splc.org for a signal boost.
Holding an event like a panel discussion, a rally or a special class. Events don't have to happen only on Jan 29!
- Apply by Monday, Jan, 13 for a grant of up to $300 to help your students hold public events or campaigns on or around Student Press Freedom Day.
Posting on social media using #StudentPressFreedom.
Get creative! The best ideas often come from you.

2. Fight for student journalists' rights in your state!

2020 is gearing up to be a big year for New Voices. 14 states already have laws in place protecting student journalists' rights. There are active groups in 16 additional states. Legislative sessions are starting back up, and New Voices bills will be filed in several states in the coming weeks. Now's the time to get involved and see how you can join the movement!

For more New Voices updates, we've launched a monthly newsletter with the latest developments on the New Voices movement and tips, strategies and materials to help New Voices advocates.

To subscribe scroll to the bottom of this email and click "update your preferences" and select Monthly New Voices Updates.

3. Utilize SPLC's Virtual Speakers Bureau

Now you can invite an SPLC expert to come speak to your class or newsroom via Zoom videoconference. Speakers will join you for up to 40 minutes (including Q & A) on one of four preset topics.

Request a speaker

4. Contact SPLC's legal hotline for help

Ok, admittedly, we hope you *don't* have to do this one. Ideally, you'd never run into the kind of issues that bring people to our hotline, but we know that's just not realistic. So our attorneys are here for you to answer questions about copyright, help you access public records, provide assistance with censorship incidences and any other legal help you may need. If you need us, we hope you'll reach out!

Contact the hotline

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High school and college news organizations can show their support for SPLC's legal hotline and other core services by becoming a member. Your individual donations help us defend the rights of student journalists and their advisers across the country.

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