Charlotte Koellner is the Editor-in-Chief of The Dispatch, the journalism organization at James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas. Koellner works alongside officers and specialists to market New Voices Texas.

“I believe that as student journalists, my peers and I possess powerful roles in our communities, and our opportunities to express that power should not be limited because an authoritative figure believes a story is “too risky” to publish. High schoolers in Texas are constantly being challenged with real-world experiences, such as bans on progressive learning, increased risks of school shootings, social pressures, decreased staff retention in our schools, and much more. If we are expected to endure real-world events like these, why shouldn’t we be allowed to write about them?

The answer: there is no reason we shouldn’t be allowed to write about them. As a student journalist at my school, my ability to publish a story should reside in my ability to write the story, not my principal or my adviser’s personal opinion of the topic.

To me, protecting student journalism is absolutely vital because we are the voices of our otherwise unseen communities. We represent students who struggle to employ their own voices, whether we’re advocating for social change within our school or covering the newest school activity. Our responsibility while writing or designing at a student produced publication is to make each individual feel informed and represented.”

What I Do

As the communications specialist of New Voices Texas, I will work alongside our communications officer, Dominic Plata, to help New Voices Texas gain publicity throughout the country. Using engaging social media posts and coordinating events, I hope to successfully educate our audience on how beneficial New Voices legislation would be in our state. 

By adding my own informative spin to recent media trends and creating eye-catching digital designs and infographics, my goal is to interact with a wide-ranged audience, including everyone from curious high school students to our local politicians. 

Dominic and I will keep our followers up to date with all vital information, answer any questions that our supporters may have about the New Voices objective, and provide information easily for fellow members to share at their own schools. 

By the end of the school year I hope to significantly grow our social media following as well as create a professional and welcoming atmosphere for anyone interested in protecting student journalism.