Pratika Katiyar (DMSB ’24) is a third year Business Administration and Communication Studies student who was recognized in the HerCampus x e.l.f. Cosmetics 22 Under 22 list for her writing and activism. Pratika’s work focuses on press freedom, technology policy, and bodily autonomy.
“In addition to being an Honors student, I am a fervent activist and writer, focused on issues of press freedom, technology policy, and bodily autonomy. Over the past few years, I have worked tirelessly and passionately to help secure First Amendment protections for student journalists. In my home state of Virginia, I testified for legislation that would restore and protect the First Amendment rights of student journalists, and ever since then, I have been working with students across the country on efforts to get similar legislation passed in all 50 states. Following these efforts, I spearheaded a nationwide campaign promoting world press freedom, which included advocating for issues like protecting women journalists from online harassment, and reviving local news.
Press freedom is a crucial issue that is impacting journalists everywhere, and as a student journalist, I was inspired to use my grassroots organizing skills to make an impact in the space. For my advocacy, I have been quoted and profiled in several news outlets, notably Teen Vogue, NBC, ABC 7, and more. I also have been invited to speak on panels for PEN America, Georgetown Law School, Harvard Law School, among others. Being recognized for my extensive work, I was invited to join the Board of Directors at the Student Press Law Center (SPLC). SPLC is a national organization that provides free legal aid to students who have been censored. I became the youngest Board member, working alongside 12 other distinguished professionals in law and media to further the organization’s mission. In my role as a Board member, I made a headline appearance on a panel at the 2022 United Nations World Press Freedom Day Conference on May 3rd, discussing the censorious attacks on education, my experience as a young woman of color, and the importance of the First Amendment. I am currently working on a campaign for Student Press Freedom Day in February 2024.
In addition to organizing around press freedom issues, I work extensively in the tech policy space. For over two years, I have done research at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, where I write and report on issues like generative AI, social media regulation, and privacy. My work has reached 10,000+ at Harvard and gained recognition by prominent journalists and activists like Taylor Lorenz and Sophia Bush Hughes. Building on my tech policy work, I was also previously a digital policy fellow at PEN America, sitting in on meetings with leaders at platforms like Google and Meta, as well as a co-op at Amazon, working in their privacy and compliance department. I’ve written widely on tech policy issues for CNN, Teen Vogue, and Neiman Reports.
I am passionate about using my skills from these experiences to protect bodily autonomy. I am currently a Research Assistant with the Initiative for a Representative First Amendment at Harvard Law School to produce research on diversity in First Amendment law, and on bodily autonomy and surveillance in the United States.”
What other activities are you involved in on campus?
- President of Northeastern Women in Business
- Phi Alpha Delta (Pre-Law Fraternity)
- No Limits Dance Crew
- CAMD Ambassador
- Working on an Honors Interdisciplinary Thesis focusing on AI and its implications for the border
What is your favorite Honors memory?
I presented at the recent Honors HEIST, which was a really exciting experience because I got to share my op-ed writing skills with the community.