Student journalist covering protests: ‘We have to do it’

As police stormed several college campuses in recent days and arrested hundreds of students protesting the Israel-Gaza war, student journalists proved, once again, that they can report the news like professionals.

But unfortunately — just like professional reporters — student journalists are also being arrested, physically blocked from reporting, or even assaulted by police or others.

At Indiana University, the Indiana Daily Student has been covering the war and campus protests since October, including a campus encampment set up last week and the arrests of protestors by Indiana State Police on April 25 and 27. Even as the IDS proves its necessity to the campus community, the newspaper is facing potentially crippling budget cuts.

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Deputy Director of Advocacy Caitlin Vogus spoke to IDS co-editor-in-chief Salomé Cloteaux and the Student Press Law Center’s Mike Hiestand this week about the challenges facing student journalists covering campus protests.