Censorship has been rearing its ugly head across the nation. For instance, earlier in the year, The Washington Post editorial writers were instructed to focus the paper’s opinion page only on stories in defense of free market principles and personal liberties blocking the opinion page from reporting on opposing viewpoints. This is an example of prior review which is the same method FCPS can use to censor student publications across the county.
Here in Alexandria, student publications are being threatened by the same First Amendment attacks that have been harming news publications nationwide. Right now, our neighbor school and perennial sports rival, Alexandria City High School and its newspaper, Theogony, are being threatened with mandatory prior review–censorship–from their school board.
Following controversy surrounding articles part of Theogony’s “Inside the High School Project” series, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Central Office has proposed a new policy on student publications regulations. This new policy uses prior review in attempts at censoring Theogony from reporting on topics in criticism of ACPS. The policy states, “…Student publications are components of the curriculum 6 approved by the Alexandria City School Board (Board) and are not intended to provide a public forum for students or the general public”. This directly violates the first amendment right of freedom of press that allows Theogony to be an important voice of the Alexandria City community.
On Dec. 5, 2024 the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) school board voted against at large member Ryan McElveen’s proposal to review the rights of student journalists 9-3. McElveen’s proposal was supported by Ricardy Anderson from the Mason District and our Mount Vernon District school board member Mateo Dunne. At the time, some other members said they didn’t vote for it because they didn’t have time to read it, but it hasn’t been taken up again. It’s disheartening to see that a policy that would defend the first amendment rights of student journalists was brushed to the side by our school board.
We, as editors, have been working hard this year along with members of fellow FCPS school publications to try and ensure the protection of our rights as student journalists. In the wake of the Hayfield Football scandal and recent polarizing events, we spoke with school board member, Mateo Dunne, after the school board proposal he supported reviewing the rights of student journalists was shut down and sent him our recommended proposal based on the work of the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) which ensures more protections for student journalists.
Last fall, we attended the National JEA Journalism Convention, where we learned about all facets of journalism, but perhaps what stuck with us the most was learning about the censorship that other school publications endure, and have endured for years. We had the privilege of hearing from a student who wrote the article at the root of the monumental Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case, as well as the opportunity to talk to peers about their experience with censorship. Through our experience we learned that the one thing many school publications have in common is the attempted censorship of their work by administration, and as a student news organization we want to use our voice to prevent potential attempts at censorship by FCPS.
It’s important that both students and community members take action and call for the support of student journalists. The more people supporting school papers, the more likely FCPS will take action to protect student journalists’ first amendment rights.
Throughout our current tenure as student editors at West Po, we have not faced an instance of censorship, and our school administration has been supportive of journalism. However, it is important to acknowledge the possibility of censorship exists, and the importance of FCPS to adopt a policy that protects the first amendment right of freedom of press.
