Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) announced that student newspapers will no longer be allowed to use SNO Sites and WordPress, the platforms we rely on to publish our work. The county has cited security concerns—particularly the lack of Google Sign-In—as justification for this decision. However, no viable alternative has been provided/announced, leaving student newspapers across the district at risk of losing their websites entirely.

This decision is deeply concerning and will have lasting consequences for student journalism.

What This Means for Student Newspapers
Years of Published Work Will Be Lost
SNO hosts hundreds of articles, interviews, and investigations written by students over the years. These pieces document important school events, highlight student achievements, and serve as a historical archive of our community. If our websites are shut down, this content could be permanently erased.

Students Will Lose National Recognition
 SNO provides opportunities for student journalists to earn national awards and recognition, including Best of SNO honors and digital badges that validate the hard work we put into our publications. These achievements help students build strong portfolios for college applications, scholarships, and future careers. Without SNO, our ability to compete and be recognized at a national level will disappear.

Respect for Student Journalism is at Stake 
 Student newspapers are not a free-for-all—we follow journalistic ethics, work under the guidance of experienced advisers, and hold ourselves to the same standards as professional newsrooms. Removing our platform not only limits our ability to report but also sets a dangerous precedent for restricting student voices.

No Functional Alternative Exists
 Currently, Wake County has not provided a workable replacement for SNO. We are not permitted to use School Wire, the platform used for school websites, and VNN, a similar platform to SNO, is only approved for athletics. We have been given no clear pathway forward—only roadblocks. Additionally, Google Sites and Canva are not complex enough for a student online newspaper. 

Security Concerns Can Be Addressed Without a Ban
 If the primary concern is login security, then we should be working together to find a solution—not eliminating a platform that is essential to our work. Many secure websites and professional news organizations do not require Google Sign-In but maintain safety through two-factor authentication and other security measures. Wake County should explore these solutions before making a decision that will permanently harm student publications.

SNO Offers a Strong Curriculum 
 SNO was created to support newspaper advisors—its name, School Newspapers Online, reflects its purpose as an online publishing solution exclusively for scholastic news programs. SNO provides a wide range of lesson plans for both advisors and students to reference, including slideshows, instructional materials, and guidelines on national journalism ethics and expectations. Without access to these resources, students and teachers can feel unprepared. As representatives of Wakefield High School's newspaper, The Howler, we frequently turn to SNO for assistance in developing our lesson plans for the newspaper class. According to the Ada High School program planning guide for the 2024-2025 academic year, “This course is designed for students who have committed to leadership positions for school-wide publications, such as the school newspaper, yearbook, or literary magazine.” Given this information, it's essential that students have access to the resources SNO provides, especially in a class as serious and professional as newspaper production. Wake County Public Schools aims to uphold a high level of professionalism in writing and in the functioning of its classes. To maintain these standards, having complete access to SNO is vital.

SNO Co-Founders Attempted to Work with WCPSS to Resolve the Issue but Received No Response
 Members of Wakefield’s newspaper, The Howler, have reached out to the Co-Founders of SNO seeking confirmation and support regarding the implementation of single sign-on (SSO) functionalities on SNO platforms. According to Tom Hutchinson, Co-Founder of SNO, it is indeed feasible to enable Google Sign-In on SNO Sites. It is important to note that SNO Sites is built on the WordPress platform, which does not inherently include SSO capabilities by default. However, there exists a range of well-established third-party plugins that can be installed to facilitate this feature. Several educational institutions across the country have successfully adopted Google SSO or alternative SSO solutions. Tom Hutchinson informed, “We’ve offered to work directly with Wake County tech services to enable this and ensure it meets their standards — but despite multiple attempts, we’ve never received a reply. We have made it clear via email that we will install and configure a plugin to enable SSO at no additional cost to the district (see attached emails).” It is unfair to ban the platform without seeking solutions with SNO, as this decision affects both teachers and students.

What We’re Asking For
We urge Wake County Public Schools to:

✅ Reconsider the decision to ban SNO
✅ Work with SNO professionals to improve security measures
✅ Engage student editors and advisers in finding a solution that allows student newspapers to continue publishing

How You Can Help
🖊 Sign this petition to show Wake County that student journalism matters.
📢 Share this petition with students, teachers, and community members.
🎙 Speak out at school board meetings and online—let your voice be heard.

Student newspapers provide an irreplaceable platform for storytelling, accountability, and student expression. By removing SNO, Wake County is not just taking away a website—they are silencing student voices.

Please help us fight for the future of student journalism.

#SaveSNO #ProtectStudentJournalism #WakeCountyLetUsPublish