The spread of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting school closures are affecting students, student journalists and educators alike.

Coronavirus reporting guide and legal FAQs

To help student journalists cover the pandemic, SPLC attorneys have created a guide answering your top questions about privacy rights, access rights and ethical questions to consider in covering the crisis. We've also compiled links where you can find background information for your stories, plus resources and advice for journalists created by organizations that range from World Health Organization to the Poynter tInstitute and the Education Writers Association.

Read the guide

Remote teaching resources

To help advisers at schools that have switched to (or will soon) online-only classes, SPLC compiled resources for teaching remotely. Check out these presentations, quizzes, webinars and more. Our attorneys have pre-recorded presentations on libel law, high school press freedom and copyright law. SPLC experts can also teach a 40-minute lesson via video call using our Virtual Speakers Bureau.

See online teaching resources

Crisis coverage by student journalists

An SPLC reporter spoke with student journalists from a high school, community college and four-year college about how they're covering the coronavirus pandemic even though their schools have closed. They stressed the importance of dispelling rumors and quelling panic through accurate, carefully verified, fact-based information.

“Student publications have the best sourcing,” said Jake Goldstein-Street, news editor at the University of Washington'sThe Daily. “We’ve been able to get scoops consistently and do the longer pieces so if [people are] looking for good, in-depth coverage about these schools, they should be going to the student publications instead of the national ones.”

Read the story

Share your coverage

SPLC is showcasing some of the student coverage of this pandemic, and we'd love to add yours to the list. If your student publication has covered the disease, send us a link:

Share my coverage

How else can SPLC help?

Amidst the fear and disruption of this pandemic, student press rights violations should be the last of your worries. If there are guides you would find helpful, resources you'd like to see from SPLC or questions we can answer for you (related to the outbreak or not) please let us know.

How can we help?

In the meantime, the most important thing is to stay safe and stay informed. The CDC and WHO have released lots of information about how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and what to do if you are sick. SPLC staff will continue to work through this crisis to support you. We hope you will support each other and your community to stay healthy and well.

Support SPLC

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.