When universities silence student newspapers, press freedom is at risk

Students in higher education institutions have explicit free speech and free press rights. This applies regardless of whether the media is school-sponsored or part of an academic course. Students may not be subject to mandatory review by a school official before publication.”

Stuart N. Brotman, Digital Media Laureate at The Media Institute

Last year revealed a troubling trend toward freedom of the press on our nation’s campuses, one that was obscured by the avalanche of news about college speech controversies — from banning faculty criticism of public issues to restricting students from participating in club activities if they expressed certain points of view.

Exhibits A and B took place at two public universities, where First Amendment protection of freedom of the press clearly applies. At Indiana University-Bloomington, Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush was instructed to censor a homecoming edition of the Indiana Daily Student, restricting coverage to information about homecoming only — no news, according to the publication’s editors. When Rodenbush resisted, he was fired, and his subsequent federal lawsuit is pending.

University officials also suspended publication of the student newspaper, claiming the move was made, in part, to align “IU with industry trends and offering experiential opportunities more consistent with digital-first media careers of the future.” The university tried to cancel the physical printing of the student paper, too, but later reversed course, allocating funds from its budget until the end of the academic year this June.

At the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), the Student Media Advisory Board ordered the print version of The Vista, the campus newspaper that had operated for over 120 years, to cease print publication immediately and to publish only in a digital format. The explanation for the sudden action was a budgetary shortfall of less than $20,000.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a journalism legal group, sent a letter to UCO on behalf of six current or former students, accusing the university of ending print publications in an act of retaliation for “rigorous news coverage of university affairs.”

That letter alleged that, beginning in 2024, UCO had engaged in a campaign to suppress negative content in The Vista. Then-student Jake Ramsey was told that the newspaper was reporting on “broken eggs” instead of the “perfectly good omelette” that The Vista writers preferably should cover.

Ramsey understood this to be a request that he and other journalists provide fawning coverage of the university rather than report objectively on campus affairs. Then, after the Student Media Advisory Board approved print funding for The Vista, the university stepped in, barring the paper from using private funds to print.

And to ensure the paper abided by the print ban, the university removed The Vista’s distribution racks from their locations on campus. When students sought to report on the university’s interference, Vista Advisor Erika Williams and Administrator Amber Loomis discouraged student journalists from covering it, suggesting that doing so could be “dangerous.” Last semester, Williams and Loomis made clear just how dangerous that reporting would be by demoting, firing and refusing to hire staff members who spoke out against the print ban. UCO has not refuted any of these allegations to date.

These examples illustrate why it is important for state legislatures to enact laws that provide clear legal protections for campus student journalists, supplementing First Amendment protections.

In its 1988 case, Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, the U.S. Supreme Court said it was okay for school administrators to censor writings in student newspapers if their concerns stemmed from “legitimate pedagogical concerns.”

The case was about a school principal who stopped articles on abortion and divorce from getting published in the school paper because he thought the issues were too mature and potentially disturbing for the high school audience. The Supreme Court upheld the principal’s censorship, holding that high school students do not have the same right of free press as professional journalists.

But that opinion does not apply to college student journalists, although many university administrators have attempted to use its “legitimate pedagogical concerns” rationale to censor campus media content.

As 2026 begins, the model legislation now in force in Washington State deserves attention from the over 30 states that have not yet addressed this serious free press concern.

The Washington legislature expressly has recognized freedom of expression through school-sponsored media as a “fundamental principle of our democratic society granted by the First Amendment.” The law applies to public institutions of higher education (and even to public high schools, too).

Students in higher education institutions have explicit free speech and free press rights. This applies regardless of whether the media is school-sponsored or part of an academic course. Students may not be subject to mandatory review by a school official before publication.

Student expression may only be limited where it’s libelous or slanderous. It’s an invasion of privacy, violates or incites students to violate the law, and violates school district policies regarding harassment, discrimination, intimidation or bullying. Administrators also cannot discipline media advisers for complying with the law.

Timely consideration of this law would provide a true teachable moment for campus journalists as they train to become professional journalists. And it will benefit all who support the enduring values that America 250 will celebrate throughout this year and beyond.

Stuart N. Brotman is Digital Media Laureate at The Media Institute and the author of “Free Expression Under Fire: Defending Free Speech and Free Press Across the Political Spectrum.” He can be reached at snbrotman@gmail.com.