Letter from the Editors: On Student Press Freedom Day, stand up for campus journalism

Dear Readers,

In 1973, after several years of campus unrest and conflict between student journalists and university administrators amid the Vietnam War, The Stanford Daily became an independent publication.

A major catalyst for the change was a controversial 1970 op-ed that criticized the war and attacked students who had exposed protesting peers to law enforcement. Fearing a lawsuit against Stanford, then-president Richard Lyman condemned the op-ed’s publication as “a journalistic atrocity.”

The Daily and the University ultimately settled on an agreement for independence that benefited both sides. The University was freed of legal responsibility for work published in The Daily, while students became freer to manage the paper’s affairs.

For over a half-century, that independence has enabled The Daily to pursue reporting that promotes accountability, clarity and open dialogue on campus without fearing direct suppression or retaliation.

Today, however, on National Student Press Freedom Day, it is striking (if not surprising) that student journalists across the country continue to face censorship, intimidation and harassment for their work.

Student journalists across the country have faced a particularly hostile environment in the past few years. Reports have highlighted an uptick in digital threats, administrative censorship and legal intimidation. In 2024, 21% of all journalists arrested or detained in the United States were students.

While The Daily certainly enjoys greater independence than many of our peers across the country, some of these same trends have affected our work.

In 2024, a Daily reporter, Dilan Gohill, was arrested while covering pro-Palestinian protesters’ takeover of Building 10. He subsequently faced potential charges of felony burglary and felony vandalism.

Only after nine long months did Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen rightly announce that “We have no evidence that this student did anything other than cover this event as a journalist,” adding, “the law gives reporters latitude to do their jobs in keeping the public informed.”

More recently, the federal government’s immigration enforcement actions have driven fears over visa loss or deportation among non-citizen students. This has deterred would-be participants from reporting the news, voicing their opinions or providing comment on political subjects in the pages of The Daily.

Some staff members have declined assignments. Many others have asked for their names to be removed from past published articles.

Such fears have had significant consequences for The Daily. Without the participation of international students, who compose a meaningful share of the Stanford community, our writers and editors simply cannot fulfill their mandate to the best of their ability.

It was for this reason that The Daily, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), filed and continues to pursue a lawsuit against the federal government. Our goal is simple: to ensure that all community members at Stanford can freely exercise their First Amendment rights.

We are grateful for the support of the Student Press Law Center and 55 students news organizations, who filed an amicus brief in our case corroborating the same chilling effect on their campuses.

In a time of rising threats to press freedom and open expression, we consider it vital for advocates of the First Amendment — whatever their political differences — to lend their support to student journalists.

Energetic, well-resourced and independent newsrooms on college campuses enrich our democracy. Today, we encourage you to join their defense.

Sincerely,

George Porteous ’27

Amina Wase ’26

Anna Yang ’27

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