Each February, Scholastic Journalism Week celebrates the importance of scholastic journalism, recognizing student journalists’ critical role in shaping communities, promoting media literacy, and developing educated citizens. The Journalism Education Association scheduled Scholastic Journalism Week for Feb. 24-28, 2025. Throughout this week, we as student journalists are to remind our community of the importance of scholastic journalism, believing in this year’s theme: Power of the Press.
Established in 1787, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. With a particular emphasis on the freedom of the press, the First Amendment allows us, as student journalists, to report freely and hold those in higher authority accountable without fear of censorship. In a world filled with misinformation and censorship, this foundational right grants us the ability to distribute and publish information, regardless of controversy.
However, issues have still arisen despite the First Amendment granting freedom to the press. In January 1988, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in favor of the school district in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. Under Hazelwood, the administration can censor student work for a reason “reasonably related to a legitimate pedagogical concern,” 484 U.S. 260 (1988) Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier.
With the Court approving the decision of public high school administrators at Hazelwood East High School in suburban St. Louis, Mo., to censor stories regarding teen pregnancy and the effects of divorce on children from a school-sponsored student newspaper, student-powered nonpartisan grassroots movement New Voices seeks to protect student press freedom with state laws. Under New Voices, student press freedom means school administration may not censor your output as a student journalist unless you publish unprotected speech. These laws counteract the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier Supreme Court decision, positively impacting student press rights across 18 states, with one being Illinois.
This year’s theme, “Power of the Press,” relates directly to the changing field of journalism altogether. According to the Columbia Journalism School, artificial intelligence is sufficient enough to replace at least some journalism jobs, either directly or because fewer workers are needed. AI can perform human-level problems, leaving those in journalism-centered jobs in desperate need of hope. With many student journalists unsure of the future of journalism and whether it is a practical career path, the JEA theme reminds us that despite changes evolving within journalism, journalists are essential to producing an unfettered flow of information that keeps people within a community informed.
Due to the uneasiness of the continuous changes in the field, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, student journalists were able to take a deeper look into how Gen Z and young Millennials are redefining the landscape of journalism as a part of Leaders in Journalism Day. This is extremely beneficial to those concerned about job opportunities found within journalism. JEA has curated additional lesson plans as well to best pair with the daily themes of Scholastic Journalism Week. These have been created by JEA curriculum experts.
In today’s rapidly evolving media environment, the role scholastic journalism plays is more important than ever. We have the responsibility to inform our communities and report unbiased, factual information through the lens of a young adult. Support for scholastic journalism ensures that students have the resources and opportunities to develop their skills, share their perspectives, and advocate for the next generation of journalists.
Thanks to support from the state of Illinois and Metea itself, students involved in Metea’s publication can thrive, learning critical skills that can create a lasting impact on future career pathways. We as student journalists are becoming informed citizens engaged in the livelihood of our community and the people around us.
In a collaborative effort, last week, we hung up two separate posters asking students, “What does free speech mean to you?” This interactive activity allowed us, as student journalists, to see our peers’ opinions, understanding of the First Amendment, and its benefits.
We received a variety of responses, reflecting a vast number of ideas and perspectives on free speech and its benefits.
“To create social justice and an environment equitable to all,” a student wrote.
To conclude, Scholastic Journalism Week highlights the importance of student journalism and the critical role it plays in shaping communities. We are not just writers but journalists who advocate for the freedom of the press to report freely. The theme “Power of the Press” serves as a great reminder of the potential student journalists have to make a difference in your community and within the world.
In unison, we as student journalists can continue to protect scholastic journalism for generations to come. Having the ability to report and publish critical content is a gift that one shouldn’t take for granted. Let’s ensure that we can continue to push for students to find a passion for journalism and empower those to use their voices to better the world.
