By Dr. David Childs, Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Introduction
From the dawn of the United States of America with the creation of the three branches of the government, journalists and news reporters have played the role of informing the people and holding political leaders accountable. The First Amendment that offers “freedom of speech and of the press” has been the aspect of the American constitution that has long empowered journalist to speak the truth, even if they are under duress and in harm’s way. Since the inception of the United States there has been conflict and tension between the press and governmental officials. In this way, Patrick D’Arcy (Editorial Manager of the TED Fellows program) states that “US history has been marked by an ongoing conflict between the government’s attempts to strengthen and protect itself and the press’s attempts to scrutinize and report on the government.” Part of the United State’s success as a democracy is owed to the country having a free press. D’Arcy also points out that “some of the most important voices before and during the American Revolution were anonymous pamphleteers who were writing under pseudonyms, talking about the crimes of the British government… speeches, pamphlets and newspapers” during the revolution “were critical in informing and galvanizing public support for the revolt.”
Why Freedom of the Press is More Important Now Than Ever
Attacks on Journalists and the Press
The past few decades have seen ever growing attacks on US journalists and members of the press. These attacks are seemingly coming to a crescendo under the Trump administration. Information from the press has been consistently characterized as unreliable sources of information. However, this trend and growing disdain for journalist and the news media is not just relegated to the US, but has a world-wide phenomenon. Freedom House -A US-based non-profit independent watchdog group that has monitored attacks on freedom and democracy around the world for over three quarters of a century, stated that when freedom of the press is threatened it is “a threat to democracies.”
Attacks on the Records: The State of Global Press Freedom, 2017-2018
Because of much of the rhetoric hurled at the news media and the daily social media discourse disparaging journalists, there seems to be a growing public distrust of the news media and journalism. The term “fake news” has become a phrase that is used to discredit the validity of information coming from journalists and news outlets such as CNN, NPR, the Washington Post, The BBC News and the New York Times. Jim Rutenberg stated in an October 2018 New York Times article, that the term “fake news,” was coined by the Trump administration and casts all journalists (Accept those that agree with him) as the “enemy of the people.” This was a “negative branding campaign” that was aimed “against those who would hold him accountable” for his actions as the President of the United States. With many journalists and reporters being constantly under attack it is important to examine the critical role that the press plays in a democracy. The importance of the press and journalists in a democracy to keep the public informed and hold government officials accountable cannot be overstated.
The attacks on the news media has weakened the public’s faith in the press as a valid source of information. Rutenberg stated “By one measure, a CBS News poll over the summer, 91 percent of strong Trump supporters trust him to provide accurate information; 11 percent said the same about the news media.” This conversation becomes much more important and sinister when we are reminded that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi –who wrote a column regularly for the Washington Post, was killed by his government for being outspoken against the Saudi government. Read Jamal Khashoggi’s columns for The Washington Post
The Saudis then tried to cover it up and President Trump was very reluctant to condemn their government until he was backed into a corner when presented with overwhelming evidence.
Maybe He Did, Maybe He Didn’t’: Trump Defends Saudis, Downplays U.S. Intel
Importance of Free Press in a Democracy
Lawyer and free press advocate Trevor Timm states that “an independent press is one of the essential pillars of a democracy.” He also goes on to say that the First Amendment and its protection of the press “has always been the bulwark against secret government, against authoritarianism and against tyranny. The concept of a free press was intentionally and deliberately written into the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to preserve freedom of the people. The amendment was of grave importance in the eighteenth century during its inception, and is just as important now. The press is often thought of as a “fourth branch of government” because it also helps balance power in the government. Without that fourth branch the concept of a democratic system of government starts to weaken and after a while the democracy would crumble. We have examined the key role the press can play in a democracy. Below are some questions that may spark a meaningful classroom conversation.
Questions for Discussion
What role does the press play in your life?
Do you think there should be checks on the press like there are on the government?
Discuss how the idea of censorship can destroy a democracy.
Why is it critical for students to understand the importance of the First Amendment and Freedom of the Press?
How might a free press be related to the idea of critical thinking?
References
Why Freedom of the Press is More Important Now Than Ever
https://ideas.ted.com/why-freedom-of-the-press-is-more-important-now-than-ever/On World Press Freedom
Day, Brookings Experts Reflect on the Importance of a Free Press
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/05/02/on-world-press-freedom-day-brookings-experts-reflect-on-the-importance-of-a-free-press/
Trump’s Attacks on the News Media Are Working
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/28/business/media/trumps-attacks-news-media.html
I acknowledge that the article presents a well-written argument on the importance of freedom of the press in a democracy. It highlights the historical conflict between the press and governmental officials, and how the First Amendment has empowered journalists to speak the truth. Moreover, it raises concerns about growing attacks on US journalists and members of the press, which appear to have undermined the public’s trust in the media. The article argues that an independent press is necessary to preserve democracy and keep the government accountable. While the freedom of expression holds great significance, it’s disheartening to witness people abuse their right to free speech in the most repugnant manner.
I am an 8th grader at Cashmere Middle School and I totally think that all of this white supremacy stuff and racism is totally retarded. In the Declaration of Independence that is LITERALLY the foundation of the United States of America.
Says every people shall be created EQUAL.
This article caught my attention because I believe that American’s freedom of speech has been infringed upon recently. I agree with the article’s statement that, “Part of the United States success as a democracy is owed to the country having a free press”. For this reason, I fear that America will soon face repercussions if our freedom of speech continues to be limited. As I read this article, I could not stop relating the topic to the “fact checkers” of Facebook and other social media outlets. In my opinion, it is extremely inappropriate that social media websites are determining what can and cannot be said about subjects such as politics on their platform. The entire reason social media exist is to share your story and opinions. If users are unable to do so without being screened and reprimanded, this is a violation of our first amendment rights. In addition, I have noticed myself that each news station seems to report completely different stories about the same government officials or decisions. You flip to CNN and hear that Biden is improving the U.S. economy, then you switch to Fox and hear that Biden has tanked the U.S. Economy. The discrepancies between news stations are one of many reasons that Americans cannot trust the press. The article states that “The press is often thought of as a “fourth branch of government” because it also helps balance power in the government”. However, I believe that in the current state of our country, the press is more of a problematic dividing factor amongst American Citizens than ever before. The censorship throughout social media and news outlets has to be eliminated so that Americans can receive the facts and not one-sided biased opinions.
Freedom of speech is very important, but is taken advantage of. People abuse the right of free speech and it’s disgusting to see it be misused.
Freedom of speech is constitutionally protected and also taken for granted. This article is kinda like a reminder for that and refreshing.