Two weeks ago, The Collegian, who has proudly worked with the Student Press Law Center in the past, was contacted to support The Stanford Daily, the newspaper publication at Stanford University, in an amicus curiae brief in their lawsuit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

The Stanford Daily is suing the two top international security administrators over federal immigration laws that allow student visas to be revoked over speech on campuses, including speech published in student newspapers. Basically, the laws state that if international students are mentioned in student newspapers, they have the potential to have their visas revoked.

Amicus curiae briefs — which translates directly to “friend of the court” — are briefs filed alongside legal proceedings that argue in support of the plaintiffs, in this case The Stanford Daily. Fifty-five student newspapers and student editors joined in support, and 20 attorneys general have also joined in support of The Stanford Daily’s lawsuit.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a First Amendment law organization, approached The Stanford Daily after a letter from the editors detailed concerns they had over the reluctance of international students to be attributed in articles or contribute as an editor or writer out of fear for their immigration status, according to a separate letter from the editors of The Stanford Daily.

The Stanford Daily has also noticed a drop in international students willing to speak to the paper. The Collegian has experienced the same drop.

In journalistic practices, anonymity can be granted to sources on a case-by-case basis, determined by the editor in chief. My anonymity policy has expanded greatly over the past three years at the helm of this paper — through protests over Palestine, the 2024 election, protests against federal actions and other civic actions. Our editorial staff began to find that the only way we could quote anyone at all was to promise we would leave their names out of articles.

About a year ago, I instituted a blanket anonymity policy in which anyone at a protest could simply provide a first name, unless they were comfortable sharing their last name. After their names were published in articles, we heard from a lot of sources that they changed their mind or were worried about employers, graduate schools or the government Googling them and finding out that they had engaged in causes that might inhibit future goals.

“Journalists should not have to fear for their safety or their status in this country for simply doing their job.”

There have been a few circumstances — undocumented students, international students fearful of their visa status upon returning to their home country and other people with legitimate security fears — wherein traditional, textbook anonymity has been perfectly acceptable to grant.

However, in the current sociopolitical climate, it simply feels as though no one speaks to the press out of fear.

This is not an American ideal, and it is why we stand in support of The Stanford Daily in their staunch attempt to protect their sources, staff and readers.

The First Amendment grants freedom of speech, the right to assemble and the right to redress grievances to all United States citizens. It is incredibly disheartening in an era of decreased credibility in the press to have to sacrifice two of the key tenants of journalistic ethics, which are accountability and transparency, and still be granted access to the stories that are our jobs to be telling.

Journalists should not have to fear for their safety or their status in this country for simply doing their job. Journalistic privilege and safety have seen a startling decrease lately; between journalists targeted in war zones and at protests, it is no longer fully safe to do our jobs, and The Stanford Daily’s stand in ensuring that student papers are places where business can be conducted without fear represents a commitment to the profession and the First Amendment that The Collegian wholeheartedly supports.

Reach Allie Seibel at letters@collegian.com or on social media @allie_seibel_.