On May 17, Minnesota became the 18th state to pass a New Voices law into action, thus becoming the 18th state to make a major step toward unfiltered student journalism. The legislation increases protections for student publications against school censorship and prevents retaliation against advisors for refusing to censor student work. As we enter the 2024–25 school year, it will be implemented for the first time, consequently granting Zephyrus and dozens of other publications in Minnesota the independence our very nation has been crafted to shield.

Now more than ever, journalistic freedom is a necessity. News publications are rapidly becoming few and far between. According to a study by Northwestern University, the U.S. has lost over a fourth of its newspapers since 2005, and over a fifth of the American population has limited access to a local news outlet. Minnesota is particularly vulnerable; similar research finds that our own state has experienced some of the largest losses of newspapers per capita since 2005. All over the country, news accessibility is fading. To combat this, we must protect the next generation of reporters: young journalists.

Student reporters are not only the future of journalism but also have insight into their communities that larger publications cannot replicate. At Zephyrus, we recognize that the majority of our readers are Edina students or their parents. People care about what we have to say precisely because we know what many others cannot: how current issues and events, whether big or small, impact our school, our city, and our state specifically. A 2024 Pew Research Center poll revealed that 85% of U.S. adults believe local news is at least somewhat important to the well-being of their community. Such is the value of local news.

New Voices is aptly named; instead of school administrations choosing what can be reported on, students maintain independent voices. As a result, we can publish what we deem relevant and necessary, including pieces about sensitive topics that administrators previously opted to screen. In short, New Voices allows student publications to act as the press is supposed to in a democratic society. News publications should act as a “watchdog,” holding governing institutions accountable through honest and unbiased coverage.

That’s not to say that the “watchdog” role only applies on the national scale; accountability is important at all levels. Zephyrus has discussed everything from the federal government’s handling of school shootings to a racist video that circulated around Edina High School in 2022. The New Voices legislation enables Zephyrus to pursue journalism without worrying about potential backlash to our staff or advisor as a result of writing a story. For the most part, we are now beholden to only our readers: you.

However, there are two sides to New Voices. Increased independence means more freedom, and we can and should take advantage of this. But, if we are going to discuss more delicate topics, we must do so responsibly. In particular, New Voices does not mean that Zephyrus’s coverage should morph into some kind of defamatory weapon used to “expose” the Edina Public Schools District. There is a difficult balance between being truthful and minimizing harm when reporting; the school administration ensured that we minimized harm through pre-publication review, but now that’s our job.  It is imperative that Zephyrus, along with other student publications, continue upholding the same journalistic ethics we have always strived to achieve. We must stay fair, respectful, and honest. While we hold others accountable, we must also hold ourselves accountable when needed.

New Voices combats the growing lack of news by protecting young voices. By doing so, it protects democracy.

This story was originally published on Zephryus on September 29, 2024.