So you thought you knew your First Amendment rights...

A group of 35 journalism teachers may know the five freedoms of the First Amendment encompassing speech, press, religion, assembly, and press. Only 1 in every 100 Americans can say they same.

The reason? Largely omission of key aspects in textbooks, even flashcards used to study for the U.S. citizenship test. 

This textbook excerpt blatantly claims that First Amendment
Freedoms are not absolute, leaving out government petition.

 As a non-citizen myself, albeit not one actively pursuing a change of my citizenship status, I find the latter example particularly appalling.

I remember going through the first twenty or so questions of the U.S. Citizenship text in my U.S. Government class in college. It was staggering how many Americans didn't know the answers of the most basic questions such as "Who is our Vice President?" or "What do they stars and the stripes in the flag stand for?"

Until 2004 the freedom of the press was not included on First
Amendment freedoms citizenship test study flashcards.

Ken Paulson's talk this morning about the First Amendment and its implications certainly struck a nerve here and emphasized the importance of high school journalism classes.

"You are priming the pumps of democracy," Paulson said after quizzing a room full of teachers on what they did or did not know about U.S. history and the ramifications of the First Amendment.

In our classes we may not be quizzing our students, as journalism classes rarely do - instead, we are putting our students' awareness of First Amendment rights to the test on a daily basis as they are immersed in it, often challenged by administrators trying to limit certain freedoms. Journalism classes deal with First Amendment issues on a daily basis. They are empowered by them. Sometimes they are held back by them. Ultimately however, they instill and expand civic understanding in our students that they simply are not afforded by merely learning about it from a textbook. Journalism offers a unique opportunity for students to live it every day.

Stephanie Floch
Taylorsville High School
Taylorsville, Utah