Student Press Freedom Day was celebrated nationally among student journalists on Wednesday. It is a day to celebrate the work of student journalists but also be a reminder that students should not be censored for their work.
The Post is an editorially independent student newspaper that has been around for over 100 years.
The theme for Student Press Freedom Day is “This is What Student Press Freedom Looks Like.” Instead of me writing what I thought that meant for The Post, I wanted to give our staff a chance to express what being a part of The Post means to them.
Here are some of their responses:
The Post has given me a platform to experience and learn the most vital lessons of journalism. Students who take advantage of the benefits of student journalism will always have a bright future. — Anthony Poisal
The Post has allowed me to explore and experiment different niches within the journalism field. Without it, I wouldn’t have gained real-world journalism experience before even entering the field. — Taylor Johnston
To me, student press is all about being able to explain things to people in an understandable way so that everyone is informed and knows what is going on in their community. The Post has given me the opportunity to make meaningful graphics that can help people understand issues in a visual way. — Rilee Lockhart
The Post allows me the opportunity to serve both the Athens and Ohio University student community as well as develop skills that are deeply important to my future career. — Taylor Burnette
I’ve always thought that being educated on various topics is one of the most important things to living an informed life, and The Post lets me help in achieving that mission. — Jack Hiltner
As an out-of-state student, The Post has given me the opportunity to not only learn about Athens, but about how vital local journalism is to communities nationwide. — Emma Skidmore
Without student journalism, college campuses would be blindly at the will of their administrations. The Post is here to make sure that doesn’t happen. — Shelby Campbell
Student journalism is critical for holding our university accountable as well as ensuring the future of a strong free press. The skills I’ve learned at The Post will help me be a better journalist after I graduate so I can play my part in promoting press freedoms. — Maggie Campbell
Not only has The Post strengthened my skills as a writer and reporter, but it’s taught me so much about the role of a journalist in society. By submitting public records requests, covering protests and more, The Post has taught me my rights as a journalist and how to defend them. — Abby Miller
The Post has allowed me to build a rapport with other fantastic journalists and enhance my skills as a writer and copy editor. It has also shown me that student journalism matters now more than ever. — Bre Offenberger
The Post has made me much more confident in navigating the journalism industry, which can often be confusing and hard to get started in without any help. — Eli Feazell
Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19.
