Over the past eighteen months, student journalists have stepped in to cover some of the biggest campus news stories from student protests to curriculum clashes and high-profile leadership resignations.
WATCH NOW: Covering Your Own Campus
February 12, 2025 | 12:00-1:30pm
Ethical & Legal Considerations for Student Journalists
Reporting these fast-evolving stories often involves a range of ethical & legal questions:
- What are your legal rights when covering campus protests?
- How to interview your peers, including those with whom you disagree?
- How to critically report on your administration while providing fair opportunity to respond?
- How to distinguish yourself as a student journalist and follow the law while embedding yourself as a reporter in demonstrations?
- How to stay safe when faced with law enforcement and possible disciplinary action?
On Wednesday February 12, the Ethics & Journalism Initiative and First Amendment Watch hosted student-focused in-person and livestream “Lunch & Learn” session on legal and ethical considerations for student journalists covering their own campuses.
The event featured Stephen Solomon, Marjorie Deane Professor of Journalism at New York University and founding editor of First Amendment Watch; Stephen J. Adler, Director of the Ethics & Journalism Initiative at NYU; Sheila Coronel, Director of Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University who advised Columbia student reporters during last year’s protests; and Yezen Saadah, editor-in-chief of Washington Square News.