The growing threat to press freedom for student journalists
Threats to student press freedom are forcing more anonymity from sources and silencing diverse perspectives.
In 2021, The Unfortunate Truth (TUT) began as a student-run news outlet at Boston College with a mission to elevate the voices of marginalized communities. Drawing on a network of more than 20 student journalists—many of them international students—TUT offered stories that bridged continents and cultures. These international reporters covered a wide range of issues but particularly focused on immigrant experiences and global conflicts, often drawing from firsthand knowledge of their home countries.
But now, that vital storytelling is under threat.
“We live in dark times,” said a former TUT journalist, who chose to remain anonymous. “The same stories I wrote about covering the immigrant communities in my own country or the LGBTQ+ community I would never write during this administration.”
A wave of crackdowns on student protesters spearheaded by the Trump administration's intensified scrutiny of anti-war, pro-Palestinian student activists has had a chilling effect on student journalism—especially for those on student visas.
At the center of concern is the recent invocation of a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act by Secretary Marco Rubio, which allows the Secretary of State to “personally” revoke visas for individuals perceived to be acting against U.S. foreign policy interests. So far, over 300 student visa holders have had their visas revoked using this provision, with the first incident, 30-year-old Mahoud Khalil, set for deportation after a Lousiana judge ruled on Friday that he can be deported using the rarely used law. Khalil’s lawyers have until April 23 to file an appeal.
As a result, student media outlets across the country are seeing a surge in takedown requests, anonymized sources, and resignations.
Adam Kinder, editor of the Columbia Political Review at Columbia University, told The Guardian that his outlet had been asked to remove nearly a dozen articles and that publishing was paused for many more. Three staffers have also quit the outlet, and four more have left in hiatus, fearing their work could cause future harm in their careers.
The Stanford Daily reported a recent spike in takedown demands and anonymous sourcing. One of its international student editors has quit entirely.
These developments have prompted a rare joint statement from six national student media advisory organizations, including the Associated Collegiate Press, Journalism Education Association, College Media Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, and the Student Press Law Center (SPLC). The statement, described as an "alert" to student journalists, urges media outlets to reevaluate longstanding editorial policies in response to what it calls an “unprecedented” threat to student press freedom.
The alert recommends that student media “revisit their policies on takedown requests and anonymous sources, particularly for those whose immigration status may make them targets for their lawful speech.” It also advises transparency with readers about anonymous sourcing and encourages newsroom training on the issue.
While anonymous sources are a familiar tool in journalism, they’ve traditionally been a last resort. For many student newsrooms, relying on anonymity represents a major shift in both ethical norms and editorial culture.
“Student speech that is, or should be, fully protected by the law is now being weaponized by the U.S. government, and student media must adapt to continue to fully report on their communities,” said Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel at the SPLC.
As threats to press freedom escalate, student journalists find themselves forced to choose between silence and risk, reshaping the future of student-led reporting and the diversity of voices it has always championed.
“I am terrified for the future of student journalism,” said the TUT alumnus, who is a 24-year-old Iraqi-American. “The voices of my community can no longer be shared by people who look like me. These stories matter. Our communities matter. But this administration’s crackdown on First Amendment rights is silencing us.”