A promotional image from the website of the Journalism Education Association shows that 29 schools were recognized for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award this year. Archer was one of the schools on that list, making this the 11th consecutive year Archer has won the award. (Photo courtesy of JEA)

What does it really mean to experience press freedom in a school environment?

For the 11th consecutive year, The Archer School for Girls received the First Amendment Press Freedom Award from the Journalism Education Association Thursday, Feb. 26. This annual award goes to private and public schools who demonstrate a clear dedication to upholding and protecting First Amendment rights for their student journalists.

Director of Upper School Maggie Cenan said press freedom is a part of Archer’s mission. She said she believes that, both at Archer and at other schools, empowering student voices should be the priority.

“If there was any oversight from administration or from an adviser, it wouldn’t be your true voice. It would be a curated voice that we would want,” Cenan said. “The message that we would be sending is that your voice isn’t as important as our image.”

The possession of press freedom is a conversation that extends far beyond the walls of Archer, Head of School Elizabeth English said. She said it is crucial for students in the community to ask adults the question of “why?” even if it is something that makes the school or even herself uncomfortable.

“I think democracy is in jeopardy. So as we are teaching students, and in particular young women, to learn journalistic practice, I think you can’t teach that without allowing students to have a free press,” English said. “The purpose of any school paper is to teach students not only how to report but to investigate and to be unafraid to ask probing questions. I mean, that’s the point of journalism.”

Senior Natalie London is the copy editor for Hestia’s Flame, Archer’s yearbook. London said Hestia’s Flame’s goal is to always display the most accurate information on each page.

“We’re obviously divided into subsections, whether that be arts, student life or sports,” London said. “It’s so important that our journalistic staff is able to tell what is accurately happening in those respective sections without fearing censorship and knowing that they can accurately depict their experience and the student body’s experience without fear.”

English said she recalls living during the time of the Watergate scandal, a major political misconduct in the early 1970s. The scandal occurred when five men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex. It was later revealed by the investigative reporting of journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein that President Richard Nixon’s administration was involved in covering up the break-in, eventually leading to Nixon’s resignation.

“I grew up during the Watergate scandal, where President Nixon was brought down, and that was in large measure because of brave journalists who exposed the corruption at play,” English said. “I fear our press and our media today, at least mainstream media, lack that kind of courage and have lost their independence.”

Cenan said she hopes student journalists who face censorship find the courage to rise up against their school’s administration and fight for their First Amendment press freedom rights. She said being a parent has helped her understand that trying to fully control a situation involving the younger generation will not always get you what you want in the end. She encourages adults in the administrations using prior review and prior restraint to allow student journalists the freedom to make the right decision.

“I would hope that the students revolt and create their own magazine or create their own publication,” Cenan said, “and that the administration sees that when students are given the chance, they will perform to the level that you want.”

Winning the FAPFA during her time on the yearbook staff reminds London of how supported her voice is by the administration, Head of Scholastic Journalism Kristin Taylor and the rest of the publications team, she said.

“This is what journalism was intended to be. It was intended to create information for the people by the people, and that’s our main goal when we go into class every day,” London said. “I’m really honored that it’s recognized for what it is … It’s such a privilege.”