California high school student journalists face censorship, investigations

California high school student journalists face censorship, investigations

From Education Beat by EdSource

May 7, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by student journalists at Redwood High School, including censorship and the violation of their press rights.

The high school student newspaper, the Redwood Bark, has served Redwood High School in Larkspur, a town a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, since 1958. The reporters there frequently win national awards for their journalism. But this year, students began facing pushback and censorship from the administration for some of their stories. A 1977 landmark California law gives student journalists the autonomy to publish news without interference from principals and other school leaders. But these rights are often violated. Guests: Skye Hammond, reporter and editor, the Redwood Bark Thomas Peele, investigative reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource:  Student journalists' free press rights tested at Marin County high school Cases of student press censorship attempts on the rise in California schools Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

People in this episode

Host: Zaidee Stavely

Guests: Skye Hammond, Thomas Peele

Topics covered

  • student journalism
  • censorship
  • California education
  • high school news
  • press rights

Keywords

  • student journalists
  • censorship
  • California law
  • Redwood Bark
  • high school newspaper

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Redwood Bark, EdSource, Redwood High School

Places: California, Larkspur

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