1 jo807 © j.t.johnson 1999/2000 _________________________fall 2000 jo807:advanced journalism...

1 JO807 © J.T.Johnson 1999/2000_________________________Fall 2000

JO807:Advanced Journalism Research

Taking the 1st (Amendment)


The Mother-of-All quizzes

• How many freedoms are in the First Amendment?• 5.


The quiz

• What are they?• Freedom of religion• Freedom of speech• Freedom of press• Right to petition the government for redress of

grievances• Right to assemble


The 1st Amendment to the U. S. Constitution

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.

— The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution


Connect to Freedom Forum

• http://www.freedomforum.org/

• http://www.freedomforum.org/first/sofa/1999/questionnaire.asp

http://www.freedomforum.org/

http://www.freedomforum.org/first/sofa/1999/questionnaire.asp

http://www.freedomforum.org/first/sofa/1999/questionnaire.asp


Current cases

• Federal judge orders religious codes out of Kentucky schools, courthouses

• California high school suspends 11 students for underground newspaper

• Little-known presidential candidatedefends stroll in racy costume

• KKK threatens to sue Alabama town after officials deny parade permit


Current cases?

• Freedom Forum “1st Amend.” http://www.freedomforum.org/first/index.html

• Freedom Forum “Free Press”http://www.freedomforum.org/press/index.html

• Freedom Forum “Free Speech”http://www.freedomforum.org/speech/index.html

• Freedom Forum “Religion”http://www.freedomforum.org/religion/index.html

• Freedom Forum “Assembly”http://www.freedomforum.org/assembly/index.html


Survey of Americans….

• Based on your own feelings about the First Amendment, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.”

• 16% Strongly agree• 12% Mildly agree• 22% Mildly disagree• 45% Strongly

disagree• 5% DK/Ref


Survey of Americans…

Even though the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, government has placed some restrictions on it.

Overall, do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right?

ClassS’00

Too much freedom

Too little freedom

About right

DK/Ref

1997 1999

38% 53%

9% 7%

50% 37%

3% 2%


Do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right?


Do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right?

Class Count

Class S'00

3 4%Too much freedom

5 6%Too little freedom

8 9% About right

0% DK/ Ref

85 # of Students in class

1997 1999

38% 53%

9% 7%

50% 37%

3% 2%


Should newspapers be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story?

Class Count

Class S'00

0 0%Should be allowed

0 0%

Should NOT be allowed

0% DK/ Ref



Should newspapers be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story?

1999

32%

68%

Class Count

Class S'00

0 0%Should be allowed

0 0%

Should NOT be allowed

0% DK/ Ref



Should a group be allowed to hold a rally for a cause or issue even if it may be offensive to others in the community?

Class % Public

A. Should be allowed 64 %

B. Should not be allowed

36 %

C. Don’t know


Should musicians be allowed to sing songs with words that others might find offensive?

Class % Public



41 %

C. Don’t know


Should people be allowed to display in a public place art that has content that might be offensive to others?

Class % Public



57 %

C. Don’t know


Should people be allowed to use words in public that might be offensive to racial groups?

Class % Public

A. Should be allowed •22 %


•78 %

C. Don’t know


Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with words that others might find offensive.

1997

1999

23%

27%

Strongly agree

28%

29%

Mildly agree

16%

15%

Mildly disagree

31%

26%

Strongly disagree

3% 4% DK/REF


People should be allowed to place sexually explicit material on the Internet.

1997

1999

10% 10% Strongly agree

15% 14% Mildly agree

10% 12% Mildly disagree

62% 63% Strongly disagree

3% 1% DK/Ref


People should be allowed to burn or deface the American flag as a political statement.

1997

199910% 10% Strongly

agree 10% 10% Mildly agree

8% 6% Mildly disagree 70% 74% Strongly disagree

2% 1% DK/Ref


Citizens’ Right-to-Know

• Freedom-of-Information Act (FOIA) sites• Dept. of Justice (DOJ) FOIA Reference Guide

http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/04_3.html• Reporter’s Committee for the Freedom of the Press

http://www.rcfp.org/foi.html• THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

CLEARINGHOUSEhttp://www.citizen.org/litigation/foic/foic.html

• ACLU - USING THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT http://www.aclu.org/library/foia.html


Presumptions related to a citizen’s right to government data/information:

• It is The People’s data

• We happen to be journalists, but that’s not the issue: we are simply exercising our rights as a citizen to have access to The People’s data

• “May I please have The People’s data in digital form? Thank you.”

1 jo807 © j.t.johnson 1999/2000 _________________________fall 2000 jo807:advanced journalism...

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