National Newspaper Week celebrates First Amendment

Amendment I: 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.

In celebration of the 79th annual National Newspaper Week, newspapers across the country are encouraging readers to “Think F1rst” Oct. 6-12. This week is a recognition of the service of newspapers and their employees across North America and is sponsored by Newspaper Association Managers.

The Think F1rst campaign was originally developed in 2018 for Media of Nebraska, but this year, a number of other state broadcast associations and state press associations asked their respective members to support the campaign as well.

Why raise awareness of the First Amendment?

The 2017 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey found that 37% of U.S. adults couldn’t name  even one of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Only 48% were able to name freedom of speech; 15% could name freedom of religion; 14% named freedom of the press; 10% freedom to peaceably assemble; and 3% freedom to petition.

As Think F1rst organizers put it, “Understanding the First Amendment is key to protecting our free society.”

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of the press protects the right to report news or circulate opinions without censorship from any form of government or law. This includes information you gather from news programs, newspapers, books and magazines, or social media.

Not only does this critical right allow people to gather news, information and opinions from a variety of mediums, but a free media also acts as a watchdog with the capability to report on government wrongdoings.

This right is not limited to major news programs and mainstream sources. It also protects you in obtaining and sharing information without penalty. Freedom of the press exposes ideas and opinions based on facts, research and credible sources to inform ordinary citizens.

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of religion allows you to practice your religion freely or not at all. Under this right, you are protected from the government depriving you of what you believe in or worship. This right was created to keep government out of religion — to guarantee the separation of church and state.

While you can exercise your faith openly, freedom of religion does not protect you from suppressing, attacking, harassing or discriminating someone else’s beliefs. This freedom also does not protect harmful, violent or threatening actions tied to any form of religious beliefs.

You own your religious liberty, your beliefs and whether or not you practice a religion, with the protection from interference, involvement or penalty from the government. As long as your worship is not violating core constitutional principles or harming others, then you are embracing this right correctly.

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech is protected within certain limits and includes both direct (words) and symbolic (actions). Depending on the delivery of speech or expression, there can be consequences, as the freedom of speech does not protect you from libel or slander. You, as an American citizen, have the freedom to exercise this right peacefully without government interference. These include all forms of speech, even those that can be objectionable to groups or individuals.

Nonverbal expressions, such as wearing a T-shirt that states an opinion or shares a message, are also protected under this right. Freedom of speech is not only the most commonly recognized freedom housed under the First Amendment, but it also ensures that the government does not have a right in forbidding us from saying, writing or expressing what we like.

Freedom to Assemble

Freedom to peaceably assemble or protest is a nonviolent resistance or action with a goal of advocating for or achieving change. This right has been exercised throughout the history of the United States, from human rights issues and anti-war campaigns to disapproval of government policy. It’s far from radical. It’s safe. It’s nonviolent. And it’s your right as an American citizen.

This right includes a very important keyword: peaceably. So, as long as constitutional laws and safeguards are in place, you are free to peacefully assemble. This freedom does not provide the right to cause danger, disorder, violence, force or immediate threats to public safety.

While this fundamental right is encoded and protected under the First Amendment, the government has authority to impose restrictions on certain aspects of assembly, such as time, place and manner of assembly.

Freedom to Petition

Freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances is the freedom to encourage or disapprove government action through nonviolent, legal means. This fundamental freedom enables you to stand up and speak out against injustices or policies that are affecting you or in which you feel strongly.

This right can be exercised by gathering signatures for ballot initiatives, lobbying, peacefully assembling, email campaigns, letter writing, filing lawsuits and picketing. While this right allows you to take action on particular issues, the government can impose reasonable restrictions in regards to place, time and manner of petitioning, depending on the case.

Protected under the First Amendment, and by safely exercising this right, you can publicly participate in government. When put into action, it’s recommended to gather petitions on public property and to exude a civil demeanor.