Knowledge plays an important role in every aspect of life. It helps people make decisions and understand the world around them. Because of the importance of knowledge, journalists can have a tremendous impact on perspectives that everyone has. This is the same case for school newspapers: they represent and share the perspective of student journalists. But when the ideas are restricted, how are student perspectives going to be affected? This is exactly what is happening in colleges and schools in many states. Student newspapers are a way for young journalists to share and discuss the issues around them with other students. Very often though, articles written are censored by the administration. As a result, schools should not have to take down student written articles without a strong reason because it could increase self-censorship or reduce preparedness and enthusiasm while also encouraging a possibility of banning being used to cover up flaws in the school system.

From this point, schools should not take down student work unnecessarily because it could lead to damage in journalism experience for students-  this includes a decrease in enthusiasm and preparedness.  The article, “Fighting for Free-Speech Rights” explains that “Roem said she worries students’ inability to report the news will teach bad habits to future journalists – or worse, kill their enthusiasm for the profession” (Natanson 2). The lack of experience that can come from constant censorship can reduce the ability of students to decide the kind of articles to release in the professional world. This is also supported by research. The quote “After analyzing data gathered from 50 states…public high schools in states with anti-censorship laws were more likely to win journalism awards than schools in states without those laws” was stated in the article “Fighting for Free-Speech Rights” (Natanson 3). The evidence proves that having censorship in schools can reduce the quality of writing for students and future journalists. 

An equally important problem that could arise from banning student written stories is the possibility of hiding issues in any class. In short, schools might censor articles to cover up flaws in the school system. If a student writes a story about a topic that could reveal about certain complications in the system, for instance, the lack of proper protection for student writers could lead to a ban of the article. Events like this have happened several times, one example being at George Mason High School. “Fighting for Free-Speech Rights”, a report about school censorship, states that “Kate Karstens knew she’d nailed the story when the Yale-bound son of a school board member confessed to skipping class more than two dozen times – without consequences. Hours later, an email from the principal hit Laub’s inbox: The story had to come down” (Natanson 1). Cases like these can reduce the awareness of students about information in the school. When student work highlighting faults in the system are not constantly banned, it could help the administration as well as the student body. Unfortunately, the above example is not the only scenario. Similarly, “Fighting for Free-Speech Rights” also informs that “Maury High School in Norfolk forced student reporters to delete a broadcast revealing the school’s dilapidated condition” (Natanson 2). The fact there are several similar stories brings to light that schools have the ability to censor student written columns when it contradicts the wanted image. aving stricter regulations about censorship in schools could help avoid these situations. 

Lastly, an increase in self-censoring is also caused because of fear created by schools banning articles.  Self-censoring is an act where a creator rejects their own idea because of how others might react. When schools continually censor articles, students might start to second guess their own ideas, causing them to censor their own work. This is supported by the article “Reimagining Student Media Advisory Boards as a Boon to College…” where it is reported that “...then- editor of The Aggie at UC Davis told us that she hesitated to push back against the advisory for fear of losing her job” (Rank 5). Student’s journalism skills can be affected by school censorship as well, based on the evidence shown above. Ultimately, students hesitating to communicate their ideas can reduce the quality of their work long after spending time in the school. Another anecdote explains how school censorship can affect one’s writing skills. In the article “Rediscovering My Voice: How High School Censorship Shaped My Journalism Experience”, it is described how censorship experiences could lead to a student silencing their own stories: “ They also negatively impacted my confidence… as the administration routinely altered stories I believed to be fit for publication. Soon I found myself self-censoring in an attempt to avoid the inevitable” (Lane 1). Several anecdotes support the possibility of self-censorship being an effect of regular school censorship. Although there are many experiences with self-censorship, there are many people that simply notice it as well. In the blog “The Threat of Self-Censorship: Often Intangible, but Still Important to Address”, one reason written for self-censorship was “Fear of judgment or pushback from fellow students and faculty; afraid of what the advisers might think of certain ideas, stories, or opinions” (Day 1). There is an abundance of stories and opinions about the relation between censorship by school administrators and self-censorship. Unfortunately, habits created in a highly restrictive environment like school newspapers can take a long time to break. Reduced quality in student journalism is one of the less popularly known effects of censorship. 

In brief, schools should not have to take down student written articles without a strong reason. Censorship happening in schools can cause several major issues. Journalism is an area where authors work to find and communicate information about the world with others. When young writers face restrictions prior to sharing their ideas, the students’ skills can be reduced. When these students later become journalists, their stories could have less quality than others without the restraints. All in all, censorship can have the ability to shape the habits of future journalists for the worse. Knowledge is a powerful tool, which is why the people publishing information must be able to have the skill and freedom to communicate with others. Speaking out against unnecessary censorship in schools and universities is an important step towards this goal.