by Breanna Adamick

The world, as well as the United States society, is not exactly thriving when it comes to upholding matters such as democracy, human rights and equality right now. Neither are we doing particularly well when it comes to protecting, and in some instances restoring, certain freedoms the younger population should be afforded. Discussion about the frequent attempts to ban books, new and old, and the continued censorship of student newspapers is not new, nor is the cry to stop such things revolutionary. With such problems continuing to remain unsolved, or else growing worse in recent years, however, it seems to beg that we keep addressing the matter.

The censorship of student newspapers truly began back in 1988 with the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier decision, when the Supreme Court ruled that student press does not have the same liberties and safeguards as professional media. In short, the decision allowed public schools to exercise control over the content of the newspaper if they deem it displays “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” Without further specificity, however, that ruling has allowed for some trampling over students’ freedom of speech. For instance, in 2021 it was documented by The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) that “60% of student newspapers at four-year institutions faced some form of censorship.” This kind of situation has become particularly noticeable at public institutions since the 1988 court case, but students at private institutions are far from free of censorship either, as it is well-known that students at private schools are afforded even less first amendment rights than public school students.

Despite the long history of student newspaper censorship, it has been fairly recently that student journalists and several organizations, as well, have begun fighting and calling for their first amendment rights to be restored. Since this call to action, several states have passed “New Voices” legislation—laws brought about by the “New Voices” student-powered nonpartisan movement seeking to counteract the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier ruling—but the vast majority of states are still not on board. While Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier has affected public schools with its ruling, the “New Voices” movement has been advocating for both public and private schools to be granted free speech and press rights.

Beyond the message of distrust and possibly disrespect that state governments are sending to their students, there is the consideration that this kind of censorship of individuals so young could be quite damaging, as it could be teaching them that their voices do not matter, and that once they finish school, they will be going into a world of even fewer freedoms.

State governments and school administrations working to prevent students from speaking out on topics that matter to them is concerning not only for the denial of basic first amendment rights, but also for the repression of certain truths. In the past several years, the issue of “fake news” has become a highly relevant topic, as it has become hard to truly believe anything you read or hear, especially depending on the source. With this kind of nationwide problem persisting, it is even more important for young people and students to be able to have an outlet and be able to report what matters and is most concerning for them. Being censored to the point where most of the big truths that need to be said—ones that could actually enact some positive change—are being restricted by either the state government or the school administration, is highly detrimental to the student population and the developing student journalists. 

 While the censorship of student newspapers seems to be most directly connected to first amendment rights, so too is the banning of books. In recent years there has been a rash of complaints primarily from parents and politicians about specific books or topics in books, leading to the decision or attempt to ban the books entirely, from both libraries and schools especially. The American Library Association (ALA) saw a record number of attempts to ban specific books in the 2021-2022 academic year, and the numbers have only been trending upward since then. In 2022, there were requests to ban, restrict or challenge 1,651 titles in the United States.

A banned book website of the ALA, as well as the website Goodreads, both contain lengthy lists of titles that have undergone banning attempts, with some of the notable titles including “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling, “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, The Bible, “1984” by George Orwell, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien and many more.

The multitude of attempts to ban a variety of books over the years are far from unnoticed by students everywhere, nor are they at all appreciated by the general consensus of that population. Young people affected are primarily against the idea of banning books, citing reasons such as their right to read uncensored versions of history and that diverse and controversial literature can be useful to help them think critically. Others have also said that having access to a variety of books is incredibly valuable as one is growing up and still discovering themselves and their specific viewpoint, without having to wonder if how they view the world and issues in it is due to the very select information or material they have had. Additionally, those books that are simply fun, engaging works of fiction raise interesting questions as to why we are trying to ban them—stories that do no harm by existing.

Many of the books that have faced potential banning and censorship involve some hard topics, but others do not. Even the ones with difficult subjects such as rape, violence or gender identity are important for young people, and everyone, to be able to access if they so choose. While it may not be a book that appeals to everyone, a story involving, perhaps, a transgender character could make all the difference in the life of an individual who is going through a similar experience and could really use something or someone to relate to in such a confusing or challenging time. Taking away books like that can eliminate the potential for a deeper understanding of history and the world, and it can say that leaders and parents are more concerned with sheltering students and young people than providing them with education and good preparation for the world they will someday step into. Individual families can decide what will be allowed in their home and their lives, but to attempt to censor a whole community is taking measures a step too far.

The bigger issue concerning enforcement of book bans and student newspaper censorship is that they violate the first amendment, as this kind of censorship is denying students their right to receive information and ideas, as well as freely express themselves and voice their thoughts and opinions. If we, as a country today, are okay with continuing to deny a select population their constitutional rights, then one has to wonder how far we have really come as a society. There are many issues that some people and leaders will say are fixed and things of the past, but we see regularly with our own eyes or else in the news that this is not true. There are a lot of important matters we as a nation and world need to amend, and the censorship around books and student newspapers is one of them. We, the students, demand our freedom of speech back.