Carrying on the fight: how to begin

Friends of the Spoke is an amazing resource.

The students launched it as an informational site about the proposed policy changes. They interviewed and posted that information. They sought community letters to the board in support of the Spoke.

And others can use it, as well as some of the tactics mentioned earlier to model their own approaches.

Go there and you will find:
• Information about student and publication awards.
• History of proposed changes to Spoke policies and links to coverage.
• Special reports containing sensitive and important stories students felt caused the drive to change policies.
• Contact and background information for the Spoke and student journalists.

There is also a link to an updated Spoke site, a blog, where students wrote the site was re-designed to recognize their new role. “After the district changed its proposal that would have led to censorship of the Spoke, the organization is now focused on defend the The Spoke by keeping the community informed of the latest news at the papers, and making our resources available to student journalists nationwide who are facing censorship.”

Even after winning the fight, the students continue their vigilance.

For those facing censoring, the decision to fight might not be an easy one. But it has to do done.

It has been done before – and succeeded.

As has been said, the price of liberty calls for eternal vigilance. There is no lesser way.

As Henry Rome said, the fight is long and the future is important.