{"id":1656,"date":"2026-07-30T15:27:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1656"},"modified":"2026-07-30T15:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:27:44","slug":"universities-say-they-value-a-free-press-student-journalists-tell-a-different-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1656","title":{"rendered":"Universities Say They Value a Free Press. Student Journalists Tell a Different Story."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HarvardCrimson.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Universities Say They Value a Free Press. Student Journalists Tell a Different Story.\" title=\"Universities Say They Value a Free Press. Student Journalists Tell a Different Story.\" \/><\/div><p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div id=\"article-title-block_a1b33a357d281721c28ae6af06feab9f\" class=\"article-title \">\n<div class=\"article-title__container\">\n<div class=\"article-title__eyebrow\">\n                            <span class=\"article-title__labels\"><br \/>\n                                        <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/subject\/society\/\">Society<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                                            <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                            <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/studentnation\/\">StudentNation<\/a><br \/>\n                                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <span class=\"article-title__date\">July 30, 2026<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The student press is facing a growing wave of censorship and institutional obstruction<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad-block ad siderail-ad float-r-w-3 break-r-4\">\n<p>                                    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"ad-policy\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n                                    <\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n<p>College newspapers like The Harvard Crimson have broken stories of national import. But increasingly, the student press is being stifled.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"credits\">(Mel Musto \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside id=\"aside-block-block_312ac3e2b77a16dd7b52723bac1ea0c2\" class=\"aside-block  float-l-w-2\">\n    <span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\">This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the <\/span><a style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenationfund.org\/\">Nation Fund for Independent Journalism<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\">, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out <\/span><a style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/admin-taxonomy\/studentnation\/\">our archive<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\"> <\/span><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\">or learn more about the program <\/span><a style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenationfund.org\/what-we-do\/studentnation\/\">here<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\">. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from<\/span><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\"> <\/span><a style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.puffinfoundation.org\/\">The Puffin Foundation<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\">. If you\u2019re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to<\/span><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;\"> <\/span><a style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; text-decoration-line: none; background-size: 100% 0.125rem; transition: background-size 0.2s 0.1s, box-shadow 0.3s; font-size: 1rem; outline: 0px; box-shadow: #ffffff 0px 1em 0px 0px inset;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#05756c71666d607645716d606b64716c6a6b63706b612b6a7762\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"1161786572797462516579747f7065787e7f77647f753f7e6376\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span>.<\/a><br \/>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">In 2022, student journalist Elizabeth Wilson filed multiple public records requests, seeking access to records related to sexual assaults, alleged labor violations, and alleged administrator misconduct on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo\u2019s campus. After multiple spurned attempts to meet with employees of the public records office and a letter to the university from the First Amendment Coalition on her behalf, Wilson says, she was still empty-handed.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2024, Wilson, then a reporter with the student newspaper <em>Mustang News<\/em>, sued Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, alleging that the campus violated the California Public Records Act (CPRA), which gives every member of the public the right to access public records unless records are exempt from disclosure by law. Wilson\u2019s lawsuit prompted an immediate release of the records and ended in a settlement.<\/p>\n<p>Countless campuses across the country list press freedoms and information access among their core values. But when universities are called on to answer for their own actions, these values waver. In an increasingly repressive national landscape for journalists of all stripes, Wilson is one of many journalists who have had to fight for greater transparency and communication from universities that have increasingly stifled the student press.<\/p>\n<p>This is a nationwide trend on college campuses. According to reporting from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.poynter.org\/educators-students\/2026\/student-newspaper-challenges-business-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Poynter<\/em><\/a>, calls to the <a href=\"https:\/\/splc.org\/legalhelp\/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23319764309&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACHQvNWBaCICZkYRelmgs5_R9Evtg&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwvZHTBhAlEiwA1ug5P4c24v1xQrAh_3dRBRDKxlbZ54j4xH1JxHS4nrUCR4wIx45vDh79ixoCIQIQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Student Press Law Center\u2019s legal hotline<\/a> rose 42 percent from the 2022\u201323 academic year to the 2023\u201324 academic year. The number-one culprit? Censorship.<\/p>\n<p>Some student papers were forced to create new independent publications when their universities would no longer pay printing fees or for advisers. Other universities exerted power editorially, putting pressure on editors to change content. At student papers that are entirely independent, with no advisers or funding from the university, administrators stifle reporting by forcing journalists to only go through spokespeople for information or denying students access to records.<\/p>\n<p>Student journalists do vital work. They are often the first or only outlets to report on their universities. At UC Berkeley, <em>The Daily Californian<\/em> broke the story that the university had shared the names of 160 faculty, staff, and students with the Trump administration as part of a federal antisemitism probe. UC Berkeley is not alone. <em>The Harvard Crimson<\/em> was the first to investigate Harvard faculty\u2019s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/student-journalists-campus-repression-palestine-protests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2024\u2019s pro-Palestine encampments<\/a>, reporters at UCLA\u2019s <em>Daily Bruin<\/em>, Columbia University\u2019s <em>Daily Spectator<\/em>, UT Austin\u2019s <em>Daily Texan<\/em>, and countless others were correspondents on the ground as their universities cracked down on protesters.<\/p>\n<div id=\"current-issue-block_5a05c1cf766b32dbfcbdd8d00b74e589\" class=\"current-issue  float-l-w-2\">\n<h4 class=\"current-issue__title\">\n                    Current Issue<br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/issue\/july-august-2026-issue\/\" class=\"current-issue__cover\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cover0726-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of July\/August 2026 Issue\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Meanwhile, as local news struggles to survive across the country, student papers are sometimes the last remaining outlets reporting on the neighborhoods and towns surrounding their universities. But many students have found that rather than aiding this crucial work,  universities are increasingly impeding it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">In 2025, UCLA\u2019s <em>Daily Bruin<\/em> published an editorial claiming that reporters at the paper had made more than 70 requests through the university\u2019s public records office that had gone unfilled for over six months. The CPRA requires that public documents be disclosed within 14 days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRepeated failures to comply with CPRA\u2014from suppressing footage to stonewalling advocacy groups\u2014are not isolated missteps or oversights,\u201d the editorial reads. \u201cThey reflect a much deeper institutional parasite that is failing to be accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The editorial alleges that these delays in releasing public records are antithetical to the university\u2019s stated values, including open access to information and dissemination of knowledge. Because the university withheld public records from the <em>Daily Bruin<\/em>, important questions about the annual budget, campus security, and the police presence during the 2024 pro-Palestine encampment went unanswered.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cta-block_e85fc3847c54e9209258e96605b0b26e\" class=\"cta float-l-w-2\">\n<p>In 2025, the <em>College Heights Herald<\/em>, Western Kentucky University\u2019s student paper, was honored by the Student Press Law Center for a series of accountability stories. Reporters covered budget discrepancies, dropping enrollment, and a structural inspection that led to the surprise shutdown of three dorms. Since this coverage, <em>Herald<\/em> editor in chief Anthony Clauson says, the university\u2019s treatment of student reporters has changed.<\/p>\n<p>Reporters before Clauson\u2019s time had the university president\u2019s personal phone number. The previous president regularly sat down for in-person meetings with the paper. Now, Clauson says, the university president holds press conferences for all local media outlets, declining to meet with the student paper individually. According to a statement from a university spokesperson, these press conferences are an effort to increase transparency and ensure equitable access to the university president for all local news outlets.<\/p>\n<p>Last year\u2019s editor in chief, Jake McMahon, said there are not many other outlets in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the small city where the campus is located, that cover the university like student reporters do. He and his colleagues see the <em>College Heights Herald<\/em> as a watchdog for the university. But when the paper reported on falling enrollment numbers and shuttered dorms, McMahon says administrators got \u201cdefensive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From any other source, this might be an expected part of reporting negative news. From the university, an entity with an outsized amount of power to help or hurt student journalism, restricting lines of communication can enter repressive territory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was not really any attempt on their side to have a cordial relationship with us and understand that we were just trying to report the news,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cIf we reported something negative on the university, it was always, \u2018the <em>Herald<\/em> only reports negative stuff; they\u2019re making news out of nothing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Clauson\u2019s reporting on three dorms that suddenly closed, he found that students did not know why their dorms were closing. He spoke to some who speculated that a sinkhole had opened up under one building, which was not true. Clauson\u2019s deep dives into public records uncovered the structural inspection that closed one of the buildings in 2024. He says the university still has not released a statement on the building closures.<\/p>\n<p>According to a statement from a university spokesperson, a separate entity, the Student Life Foundation, owned the residence halls; therefore, the university was not authorized to speak about the cause of the closures. When student reporters asked, the spokesperson said, they were redirected to the Student Life Foundation\u2019s spokesperson instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter some of this reporting came out, is when we saw a lot of the restrictions on being able to talk really tighten,\u201d Clauson said. \u201cIt was kind of a culmination of, from their perspective, bad press.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At <em>The Daily Californian<\/em>, UC Berkeley\u2019s engagement with reporters follows a tight script: students send their questions to university spokespeople, and they respond with an e-mail statement within 48 hours. But if journalists attempt to contact a campus administrator directly, they typically receive a \u201cslap on the wrist,\u201d as recent UC Berkeley graduate and former <em>Daily Cal <\/em>university news editor Alexa Vazquez put it.<\/p>\n<p>Though these reprimands don\u2019t carry formal disciplinary weight, students take them seriously enough that new reporters are warned about the rules in the paper\u2019s training.<\/p>\n<p>Vazquez said that while some enterprising student reporters have gone directly to university employees in person to seek comment, many of these visits have been futile: even some student employees have told the reporters that they were instructed not to speak to them.<\/p>\n<p>Vazquez sees these rigid rules of engagement as a way for spokespeople to maintain Berkeley\u2019s public image and appeal to prospective students.<\/p>\n<section aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad fullwidth-ad contained row position-relative ad-block alignfull \">\n    <!--Ad policy starts here--><br \/>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"mid-ad-policy\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n        <!--Ad policy ends here--><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>\u201cBerkeley really cares about its reputation\u2026the image of Berkeley as this revolutionary place for academics, for its history, for its politics,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cThe spokespeople here at Berkeley\u2026their primary job is to uphold the reputation of the university.\u201d<\/p>\n<section id=\"popular-block_8e980152fb4ded57063f0ba654afcb8a\" class=\"popular-articles\">\n<div class=\"swiper\">\n<p><h2>Popular<\/h2>\n<p>            <span class=\"swipe-msg\"><span class=\"sr-only\">\u201cswipe left below to view more authors\u201d<\/span>Swipe \u2192<\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<ol class=\"popular-articles__list\">\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>In some ways, the university\u2019s highly structured relationship with the student paper works in the <em>Daily Cal<\/em>\u2019s favor. UC Berkeley campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore said her office works closely with the publication, processing two or three requests from reporters per day. The office meets with editors semesterly, and collects information from across departments and relevant experts to respond to reporters\u2019 questions.<\/p>\n<p>But at other universities, information is less restricted. Sophia Dasser, editor in chief of <em>The<\/em> <em>Cornell Daily Sun<\/em>, said that, unlike the <em>Daily Cal<\/em>, her paper\u2019s editing team is in constant communication with administrators, and regularly conducts direct interviews with them. Reporters attend Cornell\u2019s faculty senate meetings to speak to administrators there.<\/p>\n<p>In Dasser\u2019s view, university administrators depend on the student paper, not the other way around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u200b\u200bWe\u2019re going to publish this piece either way, and so if it shines a negative light on [administrators], then they should want to make their point of view clear,\u201d Dasser said. \u201cPeople read the <em>Sun<\/em>. People don\u2019t often read [university] statements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Vazquez, dealing with a university that restricts students\u2019 access to people and information doesn\u2019t make for bad journalism training.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are definitely times when it\u2019s really important, especially with closures or cuts to departments and centers, that we talk to the people at the source, and sometimes, campus spokespeople will be a bit of a hurdle to overcome,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cI\u2019m kind of glad that I had these maybe slightly unsavory interactions with [spokespeople],\u201d he continued, \u201cNow I\u2019m not going to crumble if I have a spat with a spokesperson and it\u2019s not entirely professional. I can hold my ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When Wilson filed her lawsuit against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she was the editor of the <em>Mustang News<\/em> investigations team. Without reliable access to public records, her team learned to uncover information and data in creative ways. To find university data from previous years no longer on active sites, Wilson used the Wayback Machine. When the school didn\u2019t respond to her public records requests, she directed her queries to campus spokespeople instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u200b\u200bWe figured out how to deepen our reporting since we weren\u2019t getting the information [from the university]\u2026 or there were delays,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of interesting, balancing that frustration that was very much real, but also the agency of: We got to figure it out; we got to publish the story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dealing with hard-line, uncooperative universities can be hugely detrimental to important coverage. By the time her lawsuit against Cal Poly wrapped up, Wilson was in her senior year. She was looking forward to life after college and a journalism career beyond <em>Mustang News<\/em>. Even though Wilson ultimately received the records she was seeking, she did not write the stories she had planned to because of the delay.<\/p>\n<p>Clauson, at Western Kentucky University, sees the university\u2019s adversarial posture toward student journalists as part of a national wave of distrust in the media that, in the long term, can only hurt the industry and the communities it serves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t have a thriving democracy if you don\u2019t have a free flow of information through credible sources like newspapers,\u201d Clauson said. \u201cThis trend to just have a tight hold on everything is ultimately not beneficial for anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-end-\" class=\"article-end \">\n<div class=\"article-end__authors\">\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/ella-carter-klauschie\/\">Ella Carter-Klauschie<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>Ella Carter-Klauschie is a freelance reporter and recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where they studied media studies and sociology. They spent four years reporting for <em>The Daily Californian<\/em>, where they served as a news editor, training manager, and beat reporter, among other roles. They spent this year as a fellow with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, and their work has also appeared in other outlets including <em>EdSource<\/em>, <em>News Not Noise<\/em>, <em>LAist<\/em>, and <em>The Guardian<\/em>. Ella covers community organizing, legal and criminal justice topics, and education.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_incontent_2 --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- Tag ID: thenation_registration_billboard --><\/p>\n<section class=\"collections collections--col-0\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"collections__title\">More from <span class=\"not-italic\">The Nation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"collection__row\">\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/head-start-trump\/\" aria-label=\"A New Trump Rule Would Lower Standards at Head Start and Exclude Immigrants From the Program\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img-680x430.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img-768x486.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img-168x106.jpg 168w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/head-start-ap-img.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers Deimy Labrador, top, and Emily Ledesma read with children in an Early Head Start class supporting kids with developmental delays, in Miami.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The Trump administration is on the verge of releasing a proposed rule that would eliminate crucial quality standards at the nation\u2019s preschool program for low-income children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/bryce-covert\/\">Bryce Covert<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/society-sspx-excommunication-schism-leo-catholic\/\" aria-label=\"What Pope Leo Can Teach Liberals About Power \"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sspx-getty.jpg\" alt=\"The ultra-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X kept poking the bear.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The pontiff just excommunicated a reactionary splinter group committed to undermining the church. Democratic leaders could learn something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/felipe-de-la-hoz\/\">Felipe de la Hoz<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/little-italy-mamdani-map-italian-immigration\/\" aria-label=\"The Fake Controversy Behind Little Italy\u2019s \u201cExclusion\u201d\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-italy-slop.jpg\" alt=\"AI slop depicting caricatured Italian thugs threatening NYC\u2019s mayor.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The Italian American establishment\u2019s hysterical response to Mayor Mamdani\u2019s map of immigrant enclaves reveals a cynical politics of victimhood.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/chris-gelardi\/\">Chris Gelardi<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/corporate-recruiting-pipeline-unviersity-public-service-democracy\/\" aria-label=\"How Corporate Recruiters Took Over Campus\u2014and What It\u2019s Costing Democracy\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/blackrock.jpg\" alt=\"Young people walking in front of the BlackRock corporate headquarters in Hudson Yards.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Many students arrive at college with dreams of creating social change, but the corporate pipeline diverts them. A democracy in need of their talent is poorer because of it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/studentnation\/\" class=\"collections__label\">StudentNation<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jason-vadnos\/\">Jason Vadnos<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/immigration-camps-how-to-close-a-camp\/\" aria-label=\"This Is How We Close the Camps\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/detention-camp-getty.jpg\" alt=\"Detainees stand by a window inside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall, where ICE is housing detained immigrants on May 26, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Until we, as a society, reject the camp and its logic, it will remain a threat\u2014and the linchpin in the entire immigration enforcement regime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/john-washington\/\">John Washington<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/society\/trump-world-cup-final-2026\/\" aria-label=\"Trump\u2019s Reverse Midas Touch Even Got the World Cup\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-world-cup-final-2026-getty.jpg\" alt=\"Team Spain celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Of course fans roundly booed the president at the World Cup final: Damaging the integrity of anything he touches is true to the Trump brand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/dave-zirin\/\">Dave Zirin<\/a><span> and <\/span><a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jules-boykoff\/\">Jules Boykoff<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_btf_medrec --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpContentAuthor\" value=\"Ella Carter-Klauschie\"\/><br \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpTags\" value=\"culture,education,government,higher-education,internet-and-new-media,journalists-and-journalism,media,politics,republicans,society,youth,studentnation\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"4796baedf1042e95c34de98a-text\/javascript\">\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '233793277040432');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Society \/ StudentNation \/ July 30, 2026 The student press is facing a growing wave of censorship and institutional obstruction Ad Policy College newspapers like The Harvard Crimson have broken stories of national import. But increasingly, the student press is being stifled. (Mel Musto \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images) This story was produced for StudentNation,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HarvardCrimson.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[578,3187,3185,1825,3186,3184],"class_list":["post-1656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-free","tag-journalists","tag-press","tag-story","tag-student","tag-universities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}