Apply now: High school and college press freedom awards

The Student Press Law Center is seeking student journalists to recognize for persisting through tough circumstances to tell a story critically important to their classmates and community.

Examples include taking a stand against censorship or other threats to publishing, pushing back when initially denied public records and/or stories that expose misdeeds, malfeasance or corruption.

The submission deadline for both awards (covering stories published during the 2021-22 academic year) is Aug. 15, 2022.

Apply now

We need YOUR help!

An anonymous donor has pledged to match dollar for dollar any gift to SPLC up to $10,000 over the next ten days in celebration of SPLC's great accomplishments during this school year.

Won’t you help student journalists and advisors around the country by making a gift right now to SPLC?

Just this year alone, SPLC’s free legal hotline has helped countless students, including Lyman High School yearbook students in Florida, mobilize for their rights.

If you act now, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $10,000!

Donate now

Meet our 2022 Nick Ferentinos New Voices Fellows

The Student Press Law Center extends our warmest welcome to 2022 Nick Ferentinos New Voices fellows Sara Fajardo and Grayson Marlow. The fellowship, named for renowned journalism adviser Nicholas Ferentinos and established thanks to the Sandler Foundation, enables students to work as grassroots peer organizers and trainers as they help the New Voices movement grow and succeed.

Welcome to the SPLC team, Grayson and Sara!

Sara and Grayson's bios

Q: Does mailing a copy of my work to myself provide any copyright protection?

A: So today let’s knock down one of those weird copyright myths that pops up in queries to our legal hotline from time to time. And it’s an oldie. I’ve heard a variation of what is sometimes called “The Poor Man’s Copyright” for my entire career and it certainly came before me.

The idea is that you can avoid registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office – and paying what is now a $35 application fee – but still get some degree of copyright protection by mailing a copy of your work – perhaps a photo you’ve taken – through the U.S. Postal Service and then leaving it in the sealed, now postmarked envelope.

In fact, mailing a copy of the work to yourself has no legal significance as far as receiving the benefits of copyright registration. It may offer some degree of proof that you were in possession of the work at the time you mailed it – which can sometimes be helpful for other reasons – though I think a date-stamped e-mail with your work attached is probably a better, simpler option for that. But neither snail mail or email mailed to yourself -- or even notarization -- provides the proof that you are the creator or owner of the work, which is necessary to obtain the benefits of copyright registration. Only a formal application to the US Copyright Office works for that.

Learn more about copyright

Support SPLC

Your donation helps us defend the rights of student journalists and their advisers across the country. High school and college news organizations can show their support for SPLC's legal hotline and other core services by becoming a member.

Donate now