MIAMI -- U.S. high school students know more about the First Amendment
than they did two years ago, but they are increasingly polarized in how
they feel about it, according to
an update (PDF document) of a
groundbreaking survey
funded by the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
U.S.
high school students are far more likely to take classes that teach
about the First Amendment than two years ago, according to the survey.
And more students now support protections for the news media. They also
are more in favor of their right to report in their own newspapers
without school officials' approval.
But more students today
think the First Amendment, as a whole, goes too far in the rights it
guarantees. A gap is widening between those who support this
fundamental law and those who don't. And teachers, while themselves
increasing their appreciation of the First Amendment, don't think
schools are doing a great job of teaching it.
"We see progress," said Eric Newton, Knight's director of Journalism Initiatives, "but there are still serious problems."
This
updated 2006 survey questioned nearly 15,000 students and more than 800
teachers. The original 2004 survey, a $1 million study titled "The
Future of the First Amendment," questioned more than 100,000 students
and 8,000 teachers -- the largest survey of its kind. Dr. David Yalof
and Dr. Kenneth Dautrich
conducted both studies for Knight Foundation.
The original
survey suggested that the more students are exposed to the First
Amendment's rights -- freedom of speech, of the press, of religion, of
assembly, and the right to petition the government for a redress of
grievances -- and the more involved they are in the news media and
student journalism, the greater their appreciation of those rights.
The survey reported its margin of error as plus or minus one percent
for the students and plus or minus 3.6 percent for the teachers.
Additional details about the study's methodology can be found on page
nine of the attached PDF:
Knight Foundation study. You can answer the survey questions yourself
here.
Key findings of the follow-up survey include:
- In 2006, 72 percent of students say they've taken
classes that dealt with the First Amendment, compared with 58 percent
in 2004.
- In 2006, 64 percent of the students said school
newspapers should be able to publish without officials' approval, up
from 58 percent in 2004. And 54 percent of the students said all
newspapers should be able to publish freely without government
approval, up from 51 percent in 2004.
- Ten of the 14 questions in the study about the First Amendment show
improvement in students' education and knowledge.
- At the same time, however, students say they feel the First Amendment
as a whole goes too far. In 2006, 45 percent said the First Amendment
goes too far, versus 35 percent two years ago.
- In 2004, 38 percent of teachers thought the press had too much freedom.
That figure dropped in 2006 to 29 percent. Student attitudes are
improving as well, though more slowly. In 2004, 32 percent thought the
press has too much freedom. In 2006, that figure dropped to 30 percent.
"Students
and teachers alike are starting to re-examine the value of this
fundamental law," Newton said. "But America's next generation of
citizens still continues to take the First Amendment for granted. We
have to help teachers change that."
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EDITORS' NOTE: The Knight Foundation and the Poynter Institute are partners in
News University, an interactive learning service financed by Knight and directed by Poynter's Howard Finberg.
