Written by: Lauren Hall, Soob Soobitsky, Tess Anderson, Jack Cote, Trevor Peal, and Jack Lombardo
Student Press Freedom Day recognizes the role of student journalism in their communities and on their campuses. On this Student Press Freedom Day, February 25, 2026, the theme of Student Press Freedom Day is “resilience in action”. As censorship among journalism rises, the role of student journalists is more important than ever. At New England College, we feel very lucky to have great support from the NEC administration. We, as The NewEnglander staff, recognize the important role of student journalism and stand with press freedom and push back against censorship. The work of journalists is under scrutiny at a time when the truth is more important than ever. Journalists are beginning to face legal threats and implications. Journalists do the important job of gathering endless information, and creating consumable stories that make sense of the world around. Journalists play a vital role in society.
The NewEnglander staff along with NEC-TV on student press freedom day:
“On this Student Press Freedom Day, I am incredibly proud of the dedication, integrity, and courage demonstrated by our student journalists at NEC. The teams at The NewEnglander and NEC-TV embody the very best of student media—asking hard questions, telling meaningful stories, and serving our campus community with professionalism and purpose. Their commitment to truth and transparency is essential. The future of journalism is bright because of students like these,” Colleen McElveen, Communication/Journalism Professor & Advisor to The NewEnglander.
“Student journalism is vital to the growth and development of the journalism industry. Journalism has the capacity to be the purest form of truth and that starts with growing the field and enforcing the ethics of journalism through student journalists,” Lauren Hall, Editor-in-Chief, The NewEnglander & Student Station Manager at NEC-TV.
“I got involved in journalism because I like to keep the job going and help educate people on things happening in the world. I also like to unfold the hard story’s that people don’t talk about enough and overall keep press freedom and journalism alive,” Soob Soobitsky, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, The New Englander & NEC-TV.
“Our job as journalists is to hold institutions and people accountable and any attempts to remove that power journalists hold is a threat against democracy,” Tess Anderson, The NewEnglander Staff.
“I became a student reporter for The New Englander and NECTV not only to get a better understanding of the world around me, but to help my communities with understanding as well. In a time where reporting is looked at as dangerous, now it is important as ever to take a stand, and learn the importance of reporting the truth accurately,” Jack Cote, The NewEnglander Staff & NEC-TV.
“Us expressing our voice makes us be heard. We work too hard to be muted just because someone doesn’t like what we have to say,” Trevor Peal, The NewEnglander Staff.
“I decided to get involved with student reporting because of what it does for the community. Usually we go unnoticed and people do not understand what truly goes on behind the scenes. I am proud to be a student reporter during the the time we are at in the world right now, and I am proud of the group I work with for their perseverance and commitment that everyone puts in each week as student reporters,” Jack Lombardo, The NewEnglander Staff & NEC-TV.
We ask that you continue to stand with, and support our work as student journalists. Keep an eye out on campus for the NewEnglander print edition and subscribe to NEC-TV.
