Student Press Freedom Day 2024

Student journalists are frequently the only reporters covering their campuses or even their communities. They hold our institutions accountable and affect change, from making school safer for marginalized students to revealing the extortion of their peers on Instagram to exposing delays in campus shooting warnings.

But despite this essential role and powerful reporting, student journalists’ press freedoms still aren’t guaranteed like their commercial counterparts. Generations of students have persistently advocated for greater protections and to have their voices heard. They’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s a long way yet to go.

That’s why we mark Student Press Freedom Day each February. To give students the tools to advocate for themselves, but just as importantly, to bring students together and unite a community of supporters behind them.

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, will be the sixth annual Student Press Freedom Day! Student journalists and their supporters across the United States will spend the day — and all month long — raising awareness of the challenges they face, celebrating their contributions to their schools and communities, and taking actions to protect and restore their First Amendment freedoms.

The theme for Student Press Freedom Day 2024 is “Powerfully Persistent.”

>> Need some inspiration? Here are 50 ways to get involved (or the TLDR version).

>> Want to post to social media or write about these issues? Here’s a place to start.

Learn more about Student Press Freedom Day.

The Society of Environmental Journalists is a partner for this event.