Law, Ethics, & News Literacy
Press freedom shouldn’t be something student journalists have to fight for — but too often, it is. I have faced multiple attempts at censorship, administrative interference, and restrictions on access to information. Instead of backing down, I pushed back, educating myself and my staff on press rights, advocating for policy change, and holding my newsroom to the highest ethical standards.
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Beyond legal advocacy, I have also ensured Theogony operates with professional journalistic integrity, adhering to fact-based, ethical reporting even under pressure. Additionally, I have worked to strengthen media literacy within our newsroom and community, ensuring students and readers engage with reliable journalism.​
I asked many questions to lawyers at the Student Press Law Center at the National High School Journalism Convention. Photo/NHSJC
Advocacy
At multiple points during my tenure, Theogony faced direct censorship attempts and administrative interference. I first experienced this after publishing my second-ever article, which was about how my school district would not comply with guidance from the governor that discriminated against transgender students. My headline was "ACPS Not to Comply with Youngkin Anti-Trans Policies," but shortly after publishing, my adviser received a phone call from a district administrator saying she should change the headline because it was "too harsh." After a lengthy class discussion we decided to keep the headline as it was, as we had the freedom to do so at that time. But since then, as we've published several investigative pieces, attempts to censor or make information difficult to access have exploded.
Some of examples include:
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The district PR team demanding we remove a factual statement that the superintendent declined to comment on an investigative article, despite email confirmation she wouldn't comment.
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The district PR team attempting to implement a policy, without school board approval, that would require all student and staff interviews to have a district PR official present.
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The district PR team requesting access to a permanent list of all articles in progress, an attempt to monitor and influence our coverage.
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The district PR team attempting to block external media organizations from highlighting Theogony’s work.
- The district PR team delaying or canceling interviews for weeks on investigative stories.
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The district PR team refusing to grant Theogony any access to the superintendent for interviews.
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The district PR team accusing Theogony of unethical journalism despite our adherence to fact-based, professional standards.
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This school year, after an investigative series, my school district introduced a policy of prior review and restraint, where all "articles of interest" have to be pre-approved.
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Instead of backing down, we are standing up for our first amendment rights.​​​
My email after my article headline was changes because the school district didn't like it.
A frivolous takedown request, and my response below.
The school district PR team refused to allow Theogony to be highlighted by Washingtonian Magazine.
Voices Unbound
Our slide deck breaks down the situation with visuals.
I worked hard to secure endorsements from more than a dozen groups.
A plethora of organizations are backing Theogony in our fight.
Defending Theogony’s independence has never been about a single incident — it has been a long-term effort to secure permanent protections for student press rights in Alexandria. When administrators began implementing prior review, interfering with our reporting, and blocking access to information, I knew that simply fighting back article by article wouldn’t be enough.
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Instead, I worked with staff, the Student Press Law Center, and Journalism Education Association to take a proactive approach — not just resisting censorship, but creating a new, legally backed policy that would guarantee Theogony’s editorial independence for years to come.
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That policy became Voices Unbound, a comprehensive student press freedom proposal that I co-authored, modeled after New Voices laws that have been passed in 18 states. Over the past several months, I have led an intensive behind-the-scenes advocacy campaign to get it passed, bringing our case to school board members, legal experts, student groups, and national journalism organizations. Soon, we will publicly launch Voices Unbound and use the power of grassroots organizing to secure its passage.
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Read the full Voices Unbound policy here.
View the Voices Unbound slide deck here.
These screenshots from our masterdoc show the differences in the current school board policy and Voices Unbound.
As part of this process, I had to learn about the intricacies of media law and then teach them to my staff, requiring deep dives into court cases and hours reading analysis.
I sent many similar text messages to student and city leaders to secure support.
An original draft of Voices Unbound and its advocacy campaign on the whiteboard after a class discussion.
Education
Ensuring that Theogony maintains high editorial standards has required more than just following ethical guidelines myself — it has meant training my staff to make responsible, legally sound editorial decisions. As Editor in Chief, I have prioritized staff education in press rights, ethical journalism, and legal risks, ensuring that every member of our newsroom understands both their rights and their responsibilities. In fact, the very first thing you see when entering the newsroom is a giant print-out of our code of ethics.
Our code of ethics is always front and center.
This presentation, by students from California, allowed me to fully understand the dangers of prior review. Now, we keep in contact about censorship.
I have helped educate our staff on:
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The NSPA Code of Ethics – emphasizing accuracy, fairness, and minimizing harm.
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The legal risks of journalism – covering libel, defamation, privacy laws, and prior restraint.
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How to handle sensitive reporting – ensuring that when covering controversial or high-impact issues, we balance public interest with journalistic responsibility.
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How to challenge censorship – training staff on their First Amendment rights, how to respond when administrators attempt to interfere with reporting, and how to document instances of press suppression.
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In addition, we attended multiple presentations about ethics and media law, from SPLC lawyers, experiences students, and Cathy Kuhlmeier herself.
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These trainings have helped prepare our staff to both report the news and defend their right to do so.
Our staff got to see Cathy Kuhlmeier speak at a presentation!
Decision Making
Beyond formal training, I have worked with my editorial team and professional newsrooms to apply ethical principles to real-world decisions, including:
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Deciding how to cover sensitive topics.
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When we reported on a change to the bell schedule, emotions initially ran high. But I ensured we reported the facts while avoiding biased framing or unnecessary speculation.
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Determining when to publish without a school comment
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Officials frequently delay responses or refuse interviews. I have worked to establish the fine line of when we move forward with publication, ensuring we remain fair while not allowing stonewalling to block important reporting.
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Ensuring fair and accurate representation in controversial stories
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Our coverage of the school's budget process led to pressure to remove statements about our superintendent declining to comment. We stood by factual reporting while ensuring that multiple perspectives were fairly represented.
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A comment on the bell schedule article.
When my school district attempted to receive questions in advance and provide alternate interviewees, I remained firm.
Accountability
After a community member notified us of an error in our reporting, we issued a correction.
A strong, independent press must be transparent and accountable—not just to the public, but to itself. I have worked to ensure Theogony upholds high standards of accuracy and fairness, reinforcing our credibility and trust within the community. Before publication, every article goes through a rigorous fact-checking process, including:
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Multi-source verification – ensuring claims are backed by multiple sources or official records. If someone makes a claim we make sure to verify it with at least one other source before publishing. Sometimes, we wait to get more information from additional sources.
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Cross-editorial review – all articles are edited by at least three people who check for factual accuracy, fairness, and potential bias. Some articles, especially investigative stories, are edited by up to seven people before publication.
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Clear corrections policy – if an error is made, we issue a transparent correction to maintain credibility, even if it doesn't reflect on us positively.
Beyond internal accountability, I have ensured Theogony holds those in power to intense journalistic scrutiny.
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Publishing documented refusals – when officials delay or refuse comment, we state it in our reporting rather than letting the story die.
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Fact-checking official statements – when school officials downplay or contradict facts, we respond with evidence-based reporting.
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Tracking past statements and policy changes – maintaining records to compare actions with public messaging.
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Through these efforts, I have helped establish Theogony as a newsroom that not only fights for press freedom but also earns the public’s trust through responsible, transparent journalism.
When the governor declined to comment on my article, I still published it.
A series of emails between a staffer of mine and an administrator. I'm very proud of how she fact-checked him.
News Literacy
In addition producing strong journalism, I have worked to ensure that students, staff, and the broader school community are equipped with the tools to engage critically with news and media. In an era where misinformation spreads rapidly, understanding how journalism works — and how to distinguish fact from fiction — is more important than ever. ​
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One of the most effective ways to promote discourse and media literacy is by giving readers a voice. I expanded Theogony’s Letters to the Editor and comment sections, ensuring that students, teachers, and community members could:
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Respond to our coverage, challenging viewpoints, sharing personal perspectives, or offering additional context.
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Engage in civic discussion, using our platform to talk about issues beyond the school community.
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Experience firsthand how journalism operates, fostering a deeper understanding of what makes a strong argument, how sources are used, and how facts are presented.
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In addition, I set up a way for readers to submit tips, with the goal of showing the community that we are not just an outlet for PR-based school news but an independent newsroom willing to pursue real issues.
I've also worked to combat misinformation and media bias. With social media shaping how students consume news, misinformation and bias are constant challenges. I have worked to help our audience better understand how journalism works and how to evaluate news critically. Some of my key initiatives include:
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Using social media to break down complex news topics, ensuring that students can quickly grasp key issues without falling into misleading narratives.
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Training staff to identify misinformation, equipping Theogony’s reporters with skills to fact-check sources, recognize biased framing, and verify claims before publication.
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Explaining journalistic processes to the public and providing them with the full picture, such as our editing process and what ethical guidelines we follow.​
Our pinned post on Instagram.
A community member offered a rebuttal to our editorial in its comment section, causing another student to respond.
This Instagram post combatted a claim without evidence by community members that transportation times were increasing.
Our "About Us" page provides insight into reporting processes. Note: some of the bullet points above have now changed.