( A problem in American democracy djf) U.S. students say press freedoms go too far

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Denise Caruso <caruso () hybridvigor org>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:37:59 -0800
To: <farber () dsl cis upenn edu>
Subject: U.S. students say press freedoms go too far

Dear Dave,

Ruh-roh.  For IP if you'd like.

Denise

> http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-01-30-students-press_x.htm
>
> U.S. students say press freedoms go too far
> By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
>
> One in three U.S. high school students say the press ought to be more
> restricted, and even more say the government should approve newspaper
> stories before readers see them, according to a survey being released
> today.
>
> The survey of 112,003 students finds that 36% believe newspapers
> should get "government approval" of stories before publishing; 51%
> say they should be able to publish freely; 13% have no opinion.
>
> Asked whether the press enjoys "too much freedom," not enough or
> about the right amount, 32% say "too much," and 37% say it has the
> right amount. Ten percent say it has too little.
>
> The survey of First Amendment rights was commissioned by the John S.
> and James L. Knight Foundation and conducted last spring by the
> University of Connecticut. It also questioned 327 principals and
> 7,889 teachers.
>
> The findings aren't surprising to Jack Dvorak, director of the High
> School Journalism Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington.
> "Even professional journalists are often unaware of a lot of the
> freedoms that might be associated with the First Amendment," he says.
>
> The survey "confirms what a lot of people who are interested in this
> area have known for a long time," he says: Kids aren't learning
> enough about the First Amendment in history, civics or English
> classes. It also tracks closely with recent findings of adults'
> attitudes.
>
> "It's part of our Constitution, so this should be part of a formal
> education," says Dvorak, who has worked with student journalists
> since 1968.
>
> Although a large majority of students surveyed say musicians and
> others should be allowed to express "unpopular opinions," 74% say
> people shouldn't be able to burn or deface an American flag as a
> political statement; 75% mistakenly believe it is illegal.
>
> The U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 ruled that burning or defacing a flag
> is protected free speech. Congress has debated flag-burning
> amendments regularly since then; none has passed both the House and
> Senate.
>
> Derek Springer, a first-year student at Ivy Tech State College in
> Muncie, Ind., credits his journalism adviser at Muncie Central High
> School with teaching students about the First Amendment, which
> guarantees freedom of speech, press and religion.
>
> Last year, Springer led a group of student journalists who exposed
> payments a local basketball coach made to players for such things as
> attending practices and blocking shots. The newspaper also questioned
> requirements that students register their cars with the school to get
> parking passes.
>
> Because they studied the First Amendment, he says, "we know that we
> can publish our opinion, and that we might be scrutinized, but we
> know we didn't do anything wrong."
-- 
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
                                                -- Philo of Alexandria

Denise Caruso
http://hybridvigor.org

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