This year, Student Press Freedom Day, Feb. 26, 2026, comes at a critical inflection point for journalism and democracy in the United States. Executive overreaches of power continue to erode the spirit, if not the letter, of our Constitution. Recent actions of federal law enforcement agents have gone unchecked without accountability. Tensions spiral, and political divisions deepen. On the ground, it is the job of the journalist, including student journalists, to rise to the current moment.
This year, celebrations of Student Press Freedom are muddied by the reality we see around us as journalists. Too often in our reporting, we encounter news subjects and sources who are afraid to speak freely to the press about their opinions. Nationally, we are seeing journalists raided and subpoenaed. Locally, self-censorship restricts free press access. However, we know attacks on press freedom only make the fight for it more important. This year’s theme for Student Press Freedom Day is Resiliency in Action, which reminds us that strong journalism demands bravery and commitment.
At The Eastern Echo, we invite the open exchange of ideas, and we live and work by the values of democracy and the First Amendment. It is our hope to create a space in The Echo for a public forum that encourages a diverse mix of voices, a healthy sense of debate and public discussion of the issues that touch people’s lives, all while guided by the principles and practices of responsible, fact-based journalism.
At The Echo, we are working hard to fill the gaps left by a news desert in Ypsilanti, meaning the community lacks a dedicated professional newspaper covering local news. We are committed to covering the issues our community cares about, including how federal action impacts local residents. We strive to hold local officials accountable, responding to concerns from the community about use of force by local law enforcement, the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory data center project, City Hall news, local business and development, leadership changes at Eastern Michigan University and more.
We are student journalists, but we take our responsibility to this community seriously. In an age marked by distrust and misinformation, we strive to be a news source you can rely on for truth, accuracy and independent reporting. We do our best, but we know we can’t be everywhere all the time, so we count on you — our readers, our community — to let us know what we are missing and how we can be better. If there is something you would like to see us cover, we want to hear from you.
This Student Press Freedom Day, we invite you to join the conversation. If you have something on your mind, write us a letter to editor@easternecho.com. The Echo accepts letters to the editor from our community, which includes Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, and Ypsilanti and Superior Townships. Letters should be 300 words or less in length, address an issue of interest to The Echo's audience, and include the writer's name, hometown, email and telephone number (email and telephone numbers will be used to verify content and will not be published). The Echo reserves the right to reject any letter. Letters containing personal attacks against individuals or inappropriate or illegal material will be automatically rejected.
If there is something missing in our reporting, we want to know. If you have a news tip or think there is something lacking in our coverage, let us know by emailing news@easternecho.com.
Lastly, we encourage you to support our mission as student journalists by reading The Echo and sharing it with your community. Happy Student Press Freedom Day! We are honored to be here, working to provide our readers with the timely, accurate information they need to make informed decisions and to encourage a culture that embraces dialogue — rather than suppresses it.
