In January 2019, Sen. Andy Dinniman (D, 19th District) agreed to draft and sponsor what has since become Senate Bill 806, the “Free School Media Act,” making Pennsylvania one of 10 states with pending New Voices legislation.  Fourteen states have already passed similar legislation,  protecting the rights of student journalists and their advisers. 

The bill is currently being discussed in the Senate Education Committee, on which Dinniman serves as Minority Chair. In January 2020, Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D, Chester/Montgomery) has agreed in principle to draft and sponsor New Voices legislation in the House of Representatives.

For the bill to become law, it must be taken up by and make it out of committees and pass floor votes in both houses of Congress before it would be sent to the governor’s desk.

PSPA has endorsed this bill, and we are excited to see its progress. Although progress is being made, we need your help, student journalists and advisers!

A few ways to help:

• Contact your legislators in the House and Senate, and ask for their support for New Voices. Not comfortable writing your own letter or pressed for time? No worries. We’ve got your back!
  • Simply make a copy of THIS FORM LETTER 
  • Edit the highlighted text with your specific information. Click HERE to find your legislators.
• Legislators love to hear from engaged students! Encourage your students to write and send similar letters.
• Share THIS LETTER with your students—written by Pennsylvania students for Pennsylvania students seeking New Voices support.
• Connect with us on social media!
  • Twitter: @PaVoices 
  • Instagram: @newvoicespa
• Visit us online: www.newvoicespa.com
• Join us and learn other ways to get involved with Pennsylvania’s New Voices movement! Email us at panewvoices@gmail.com.

PENNSYLVANIA (special) – For local high school journalists, the quest to become a State Champion commenced once again when the Pennsylvania School Press Association opened up its Sixth Annual State Journalism Contests. On October 31, students from all over central Pennsylvania traveled to Juniata College with hopes of advancing to the State Finals held at Penn State Main on March 25, 2020. 

​PSPA Board member and site coordinator Nate Thompson expressed his appreciation for several aspects about the event. “I am so thankful institutions like Harrisburg Area Community College truly advocate and support journalism in Pennsylvania schools. They have hosted our regional event for the last four years. On behalf of PSPA, I simply must thank Lizabeth Kranzel, Natalie Toma, Brandon Sheppard, Lori Firedlander and all the other staff of HACC who worked to make this all happen."

"I also need to give a shout-out to all our guest presenters: Anna Orso, reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Karissa Tumbusch from Jostens Yearbooks, Sam Miller, founder of Vidjam, and Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz, filmmaker," Sands added. "Because of everyone’s efforts, 16 student journalists from some of our outstanding south-central PA schools have advanced to the State Championships.”

Contests involved literary design, photography, copywriting, sports-writing, editorial cartoon, broadcast media, and poetry talents. Only the top-scoring competitors in each Regional contest category qualified to attend the State Finals. PSPA proudly announces the following students as 2019-20 State Finalists:

• Alivia Melius - Yearbook Caption Writing - Tussey Mountain HS
  
• Karley Miller- Yearbook Copy Writing - New Day Charter School
  
• Lexie Reed - Yearbook Sports Story Writing - Juniata Valley HS
  
• Maggie Parks - Yearbook Spread Design - Tyrone Area HS
  
• Sarah Ambrose - Newspaper News Story Writing - State College Area HS
  
• Sierra Hockenbury - Newspaper Feature Writing - State College Area HS
  
• Troy Walker - Newspaper Sports Story Writing - Bellwood-Antis HS (tie)
  
• Quincy Steidle - Newspaper Sports Story Writing - State College Area HS (tie)
  
• Kaitlin Raifsnider - Editorial Cartoon - Juniata Valley HS
  
• Adrita Talukder - Editorial Writing - State College Area HS
  
• Autumn Hoover - Literary Magazine Poetry - Tussey Mountain HS
  
• Rachel Brubaker - Literary Magazine Artwork - Juniata Valley HS
  
• Auden Yurman - Yearbook Photography - State College Area HS
  
• Lucia Isenberg - Newspaper Photography - Tyrone Area HS (tie)
  
• Lindsey Walk - Newspaper Photography - Tyrone Area HS (tie)
  
• Olivia Zhang - Broadcast News Package - State College Area HS
  
• Ella Simpson - Broadcast Feature Package - State College Area HS

The Pennsylvania School Press Association originated in 1925 and stands as one of the oldest scholastic journalistic organizations in the country. The group presently is headquartered in Manchester, PA and welcomes all to apply for membership. For details, visit www.paschoolpress.org.

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PENNSYLVANIA (special) – For local high school journalists, the quest to become a State Champion commenced once again when the Pennsylvania School Press Association opened up its Sixth Annual State Journalism Contests. On October 18, 34 students from southwestern Pennsylvania traveled to Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the hopes of advancing to the State Finals held at Penn State Main on March 25, 2020. PSPA President Paul Fantaski expressed his appreciation for several aspects about the event.

“It just amazes me how institutions like The Indiana Gazette and IUP truly advocate and super-support journalism in Pennsylvania schools. On behalf of PSPA, I simply must thank Hastie Kinter from the Gazette and everyone else who met over and over to make this all happen. Because of those efforts, 18 student journalists from outstanding southwestern PA schools have advanced to the State Championships.”

Contests involved literary design, photography, copywriting, sports-writing, editorial cartoon, broadcast media, and poetry talents. Only the top-scoring competitors in each Regional contest category qualified to attend the State Finals. PSPA proudly announces the following students as 2019-20 State Finalists:

• Bailey Hamilton - Yearbook Caption Writing - Kiski Area HS (tie for 1st)
• Rachel Helsel - Yearbook Caption Writing - Kiski Area HS (tie for 1st)
• Chandler McGuire - Yearbook Copy Writing - Kiski Area HS HS
• Eddie Fuhrer - Newspaper Sports Story Writing - Kiski Area HS HS
• Amber McGihon - Newspaper News Story Writing - Franklin Regional HS
• Debra Spaid - Newspaper News Story Writing - Purchase Line Area HS
• Emmet Jamieson - Newspaper Feature Writing - Punxsutawney Area HS
• Luke Rainey - Newspaper Sports Story Writing - Penns Manor Area Jr./Sr. HS
• Brice Hoculock - Editorial Cartoon - Kiski Area HS
• Louise Bennett - Editorial Writing - Punxsutawney Area HS
• Sean Adamski - Literary Magazine Poetry - Kiski Area HS
• Alyssa Poleski - Literary Magazine Artwork - Kiski Area HS (tie for 1st)
• Jack Coleman - Literary Magazine Artwork - Kiski Area HS (tie for 1st)
• Anna Buggy - Broadcast Writing - Penns Manor Area Jr./Sr. HS
• Martina Webb - Yearbook Photography - Kiski Area HS
• Colin Matz - Newspaper Photography - Purchase Line Area HS
• Angelina Pampena - Broadcast Feature - Franklin Regional HS
• Olivia Ciotti - Broadcast News Package - Franklin Regional HS

The Pennsylvania School Press Association originated in 1925 and stands as one of the oldest scholastic journalistic organizations in the country. The group presently is headquartered in Manchester, PA and welcomes all to apply for membership. For details, visit www.paschoolpress.org.

The PSPA Board of Directors is proud to endorse Pennsylvania Senate Bill 806, the Free School Media Act. We're excited to see some remarkable progress towards New Voices legislation in our state. Our endorsement is below.

​Please read more and learn how you can get involved at the PA New Voices site.

We, the Pennsylvania School Press Association, are writing to express our sincere hope that you will join us in endorsing Pennsylvania’s New Voices legislation.

New Voices is a nonpartisan, grassroots, student-driven effort to create state-based student free press protections and to prevent retaliation against advisers who stand up for student free press rights. As of the spring of 2019, there are New Voices laws in 14 states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New legislation has been introduced this year in 11 additional states.

New Voices protections are needed because, without them, school administrators can (and do) censor many student publications for “any reasonable pedagogical purpose” (Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 1988). Censoring students not only quells their engagement in the life of their community, but sends a clear message that their voices are not valued and respected. 

Under current Pennsylvania code, school publications do have some protections, but we have found that many schools and their administrators may not follow this code. In order to ensure student First Amendment rights here in Pennsylvania, we need stronger protections for our students and their advisers. We need New Voices. 

In Pennsylvania, our own New Voices campaign has been underway since August 2018. After meeting with student journalists and their adviser last winter, Sen. Andy Dinniman (D) agreed to draft legislation. Through a collaborative effort between student journalists and advisers from across the Commonwealth, the bill was revised and ultimately drafted by Sen. Dinniman. Sen. Dinniman has since garnered the support of Senators Brewster (D), Muth (D), and Browne (R), who have signed on to co-sponsor the bill, now “Senate Bill 806: The Free School Media Act.”

While Sen. Dinniman is seeking more co-sponsors to ensure that the bill is picked up by a committee, your support can help. Contact your state senator to encourage them to support or even co-sponsor SB806, encourage your local media to do stories about the movement and to editorialize in favor of the bill, connect with other organizations who may be willing to endorse the bill, or simply connect with New Voices PA on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date.

We are hopeful that, with your support, we can pass legislation that not only protects student speech, but advisers’ jobs as well. 
​
In solidarity,
The Pennsylvania School Press Association Board of Directors