Freedom of speech on college campuses is a long-lived debate that university newspapers are up against and #SaveStudentNewsrooms draws attention to the problems that students are facing across the nation.
A summary of the BI press release is as follows:
On April 25, student newsrooms across the nation are participating in a Day of Action to #SaveStudentNewsrooms, in which they will share editorials highlighting the importance of editorial control and discuss issues that student newsrooms face on a daily basis through Facebook, Twitter and savestudentnewsrooms.com.
Over the years, student newsrooms have covered local community news with reliability, while allowing up-and-coming journalists to grow by obtaining hands-on knowledge in a learning lab experience. Now, student journalists are asking the community to help support student newsrooms, which are suffering from a lack of financial stability. Some newsrooms that are non-affiliated with their university fear that their university could lead to censorship if affiliated; university-affiliated newsrooms fear that they could face budget cuts when they properly report on their student government or the administration. Some papers are forced to drastically cut down circulation, or worse, fold. The First Amendment protects the right for press in the U.S. and we feel that student-run newsrooms are no different.
On April 25, student newsrooms will be posting editorials that highlight suppressing issues inside their newsrooms. Alumni will share testimonials of the importance of student newsrooms and editorial independence. Student newspapers that are able to receive donations will encourage people to contribute. Please help us spread the word and save our newsrooms across the nation.
Keep your eye out for a behind the scenes look at our newsroom on Instagram, @uwbrandingiron and stay up to date by reading excerpts from the website on April 25: www.savestudentnewsrooms/.
If you are alumni of the university, we encourage you to write a testimonial on what student media and the Branding Iron has done for you. Please email them to thannon@uwyo.edu with a headshot for our social media.
If you stand for the first amendment, then help #SaveStudentNewsrooms by donating to your university newspaper by clicking this link and donating to our GoFundMe account.
