Navigating censorship and providing the public with facts are significant considerations brought to light due to Student Press Freedom Day on Thursday, Feb. 27, said one former sports editor for The Parthenon.
Thursday marks the eighth annual Student Press Freedom Day, a day where student journalists across the nation will spend the day reinforcing the idea of maintaining their First Amendment freedoms.
Taylor Huddleston, communications and marketing generalist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said her time as an editor for a student newspaper taught her the importance of balancing behind the scenes information – specifically, in sports.
“Not everything in college athletics is made public to the media,” Huddleston said. “There was almost that threat of censorship, so I’d work with sports information directors and explain we had to get the news out.”
Huddleston said Student Press Freedom Day is a way to showcase the hurdles student journalists may have to jump to protect their journalistic freedoms.
“Investigating important stories, you always have to fight against your censorship,” Huddleston said. “It’s all about finding the best information, going behind the scenes but still staying professional.”
Meanwhile, Alex Jackson, former The Parthenon editor and current WSAZ reporter, said the role of student journalists is critical to not just their university, but the local community.
“It’s very important to have that pipeline of information,” Jackson said. “Student journalists are the primary source of information for what is going on at the university, but they are serving all kinds of demographics.”
Likewise, despite potential blockages, investigating information and then presenting it to the people remains at the heart of a journalist’s career, Jackson said.
“Whether at the college level or in a professional field, journalists have to get answers,” Jackson said. “People have questions, and it’s essential to present accurate information.”
Similarly, Huddleston said there are multiple ways to tell a story, and consequently serve the public.
“Even if there are barriers, you can tell a story for more than just writing, but through photo and videos as well,” Huddleston said. “Find the true core of the story and then use your resources.”
The theme for this year’s Student Press Freedom Day is “At the Forefront,” highlighting the persistence of student journalists to not only combat resistance of the press, but to enhance media literacy across the nation.
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at [email protected].
