[IP] ( A problem in American democracy djf) U.S. students say press freedoms go too far
------ Forwarded Message
From: Denise Caruso <caruso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:37:59 -0800
To: <farber@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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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