Day 1
“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 to
peaceably assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances”
First Amendment Freedoms:
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of Assembly
Right to Petition
Freedom of Speech
There are 3 types of speech:
1. Symbolic
2. Speech Plus Action
3. Pure Speech
Freedom of Speech
Symbolic Speech: action that is meant to
convey a message.
Freedom of Speech
Speech Plus Action: form of expression
in which behavior is used by itself or in
coordination with written or spoken
words to convey an idea or message.
Freedom of Speech
Pure Speech: written and spoken words
that are protected by the First
Amendment, unless those words create
a “clear and present danger” to society
or if they constitute libel, slander, or
obscenity
Freedom of Speech
Slander: oral communication of false
statements injurious to a person’s
reputation.
Sedition: arousing to action or rebellion.
Bill of Rights
Day 2
Freedom of Religion
Establishment Clause: “Congress shall
make no law respecting an
establishment of religion…”
-The government cannot make any
laws that would create a religious
institution.
Freedom of Religion
Free Exercise Clause: “…or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof;”
-The government cannot stop you
from attending a religious service.
Freedom of the Press
“Free Press” usually means:
1) Right to Publish
2) Right to Confidentiality
3) Right to Access
4) Right to Know (established by the
Freedom of Information Act of 1966)
Freedom of the Press
Libertarian Theory: the press is a partner
in the search for truth and a free
marketplace for ideas and opinions,
devoid of government control.
Freedom of the Press
Social Responsibility Theory:
professional sense of obligation to see
that all sides are fairly presented in
objective journalism.
Adds to or corrects for things that the
Founding Fathers neglected to consider
with freedom of the press.
Freedom of the Press
Libel: a defamation of character that has
occurred by publication of known
falsehood.
-Identifies a victim; more than one
person must hear/see/read it; contain
an actual element of fault or malice;
must be proven to have actually
harmed somebody.