Abstract
A series of high school student strikes swept across the United States in the 1920s, emblematic of growing tensions over the role of public education. Institutional media coverage often privileged the voices of adult actors rather than the striking students. However, in the case of the decade’s largest and longest student strike—the Superior (Wisconsin) Central High School strike in 1927—students used their media channels to present an alternative record that challenged and corrected the narratives presented by mainstream media. This study, which examines student-produced newspapers and protest materials alongside the mainstream Superior Evening Telegram, provides insight into how different public education stakeholders have used print media to advance narratives about schooling in the United States. Further, it illuminates the cultural role newspapers play within a community and shows their power in determining which voices have the authority to protest.