This is a guest column from the Student Coordinator of New Voices Kentucky.
Can you hear us? We, the students, are still speaking. Kentucky student journalists are not giving up the fight to be heard as we address everyday issues in our community, amplify the voices of the people, and tell meaningful stories.
In some states, including Kentucky, this process is complicated by the absence of a state law protecting student journalists. This law would allow students to publish without prior review from their school’s principal or board, and eliminate censorship in any form at the school level.
Enter the New Voices Bill. Senate Bill 40 this legislative session, sponsored by Senator Gerald Neil, was drafted once, in 1990. This has been an ongoing issue without a true coalition to seek meaningful change. With the help of our adviser, Larry Steinmetz, a coalition of students from around the state has introduced the bill every year since 2020. The first few years, it was in the House with Rep. Attica Scott as a sponsor before finding a champion with Sen. Neal. SB40 expands on the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, allowing protections for both students and their advisers for work published by student journalists.
Related
Five Years After Breonna Taylor’s Death, Calls For Justice And Reform Persist
There are two main court cases governing student speech. Kentucky abides by Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1987-1988). In this case, student Cathy Kuhlmeier’s school censored her article on teen pregnancy and divorce. The court ruled that it was constitutional to do so. New Voices aims to break this standing policy, and so far, it has done so in 18 states.
New Voices is seeking to restore the Tinker standard. In the 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of students’ First Amendment rights, allowing students to wear armbands to support a Vietnam War truce. By restoring this standard, we would be abiding by the freedoms that are guaranteed to us constitutionally.
As Kentucky students, becoming a “New Voices State” is a no-brainer. Grabbing the attention of our legislators and community is the hard part. This year, our efforts have reached much further progress than in years past. Our coalition expands across schools throughout the state, writing handwritten letters to the capital, and sending informational emails to senators. Getting the word out has allowed us to appear in news segments on WLEX18 and WHAS11 and in Capitol mailboxes.
Why does all of this matter? In a world constantly circulating with misinformation and social media addiction, journalism and the student voice are more important now than ever. Compared to other students, we have the resources and training to tell truthful stories and produce great-quality work.
Most cases of censorship stem from principals who are wary of their school’s image. Student journalists are largely seeking solutions to school problems. Our mission is to bolster the image of our schools in a competitive college application world where having an elite school offers a leg up.
The value of our work is diminished when it is censored. If New Voices Legislation doesn’t make it out of committee this session, we will only keep pushing in the years to come until we can be sure our voices are protected. The future of student journalism, and, in many ways, the future voices of our democracy need to be protected.
Related Stories
Five Years After Breonna Taylor’s Death, Calls For Justice And Reform Persist
Thief Cursed After Stealing Offerings from Old Louisville’s Witches’ Tree
Beshear Vetoes Bill Targeting DEI Initiatives at Kentucky Universities, Override Likely
Killing A Mockingbird
This article appears in Mar 14-27, 2025.