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)

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

The Mother-of-All quizzes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect to Freedom Forum

• http://www.freedomforum.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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%

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

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?

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

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%

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

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

85 # of Students in class

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

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

85 # of Students in class

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

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

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

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

Class % Public

A. Should be allowed 59 %

B. Should not be allowed

41 %

C. Don’t know

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

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

Class % Public

A. Should be allowed 43 %

B. Should not be allowed

57 %

C. Don’t know

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

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

Class % Public

A. Should be allowed •22 %

B. Should not be allowed

•78 %

C. Don’t know

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”