“Freedom of the press is not just important, it is imperative for a functioning democracy.”
President John F. Kennedy is not alone in this narrative. The importance of a free independent press is woven into the groundwork of this country.
This year on Student Press Freedom Day, as trust in traditional media is at an all time low, affirming a commitment to accurate, independent journalism is of the utmost importance.
Feb. 27 marks the 8th annual Student Press Freedom Day, a celebration of the work student journalists do and their contributions to their communities, as well as a day intended to raise awareness for the challenges they face as they work to protect First Amendment Rights.
As the leaders of our staff, we feel a particular pressure to protect this work, to defend the integrity of journalism and to ensure that those who come after us are able to continue to provide our community with vital information and the compassionate coverage we have committed ourselves to for 133 years.
The work of journalists and public trust in media has been called into question recently, and it is impossible to deny the severity of the challenges newsrooms at all level have felt across the nation over the recent months.
Notably, a reporter from the Associated Press was barred from the Oval Office, prompting the Associated Press to file a lawsuit against three top Trump White House officials.
According to the lawsuit, which is seeking immediate re-appointment of the AP to the press pool under the First Amendment, “The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the lawsuit says. “The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom.”
A federal judge did not immediately restore AP’s access to the press pool, saying that the organization has not proven substantial harm, but encouraged the White House to reconsider.
Trump’s decision to block the AP’s access to his administration is not the only act of press restriction that has run through the political news cycle lately. On Tuesday, the White House announced that they were moving to select the reporters that were allowed in the press pool. The constitutional right of a free and independent press is under attack, and press censorship will trickle from the top down.
Over the past year, student journalists have been highlighted by our profession for their fearless work in covering student movements, protests and other campus events in ways that have highlighted student access to information, and the true power of student media coverage, but student news outlets have not escaped the threats facing our professional counterparts.
The industry is also facing an incredibly turbulent time, something that every journalist has heard from countless mentors, professors and leaders. It is a hard time to be a student journalist—we’re constantly underestimated, undervalued and underfunded regardless of university, medium of publishing or geographical location. We have to work ten times as hard to earn the trust of our audience, primarily because of the “student” prefix in our name.
Whether you’re an independent student newspaper or not, the right to information and the right to access as a member of the press is an undeniable right that each journalist is afforded, including students. The most accessible medium of communication for our audiences, print media, is constantly threatened, both at home and across the country. Newsrooms just like our own, staffed with student journalists just like us, have been defunded, censored and displaced in Texas, Kansas and Pennsylvania.
This year, Rocky Mountain Student Media has begun conversations about the long-term future of the print products at our corporation.
Despite being independent from the Colorado State University, we’ve faced our fair share of defunding threats, we’ve been called harmful, we’ve been condemned for decisions we’ve made, and we’ve faced attacks on our integrity that mirror those aimed at professional outlets. It is part of our role as an institution that exists to keep checks and balances on the offices of power at our University and in our city to receive ire, hatred and threats.
The truth is very often pretty and perfect, and as a result, journalism is oftentimes gritty, raw and incendiary. As a reflection of this world, which is all of those things, it should be.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re at The New York Times or at the smallest college newspaper in the tiniest town of the country — being a journalist means being brave, putting yourself out there, and exposing the truth, come what may. It is saddening to see the state of the industry, one that has served all of us so well in career and life preparation, come under fire.
All of us at The Collegian consider this a noble and honorable tradition, and you have our commitment, on this Student Press Freedom Day, to continue to dedicate ourselves completely to fair, accurate, timely reporting for CSU, Fort Collins and Colorado. We acknowledge and appreciate the trust we have gained from our readership, and want to personally thank sources for allowing us into their homes, hearts and minds, for their bravery in sharing their stories with us and trusting us to represent them well. Their courage is at the forefront of everything we do.
Now more than ever, we hope you all will take a moment to recognize the importance of our First Amendment right to a free press and the guarantee it gives us to accessing information.
Happy Student Press Freedom day, reporters, readers and community.
Hannah Parcells, managing editor
Allie Seibel, editor in chief
Reach Hannah Parcells and Allie Seibel at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
