First Amendment: Press

Introduction

• What was the Founding generation’s vision for the First Amendment’s protection of free speech and a free press?
• What are some of the key periods in history that have tested the nation’s commitment to free speech?
• How has the Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment’s commitment to free speech and a free press over time?
• How does the Supreme Court analyze free speech and free press cases today?

Students explore the scope and limitations of the First Amendment provision that protects freedom of the press. The lesson poses a hypothetical scenario involving student journalists handling private information. After a brief class discussion, students investigate the history, various interpretations, and modern relevance of First Amendment freedom of the press protections in the Interactive Constitution. The lesson builds on the freedom of speech lesson plan by asking students to compare and contrast the freedoms of speech and press through discussion questions including: How are speech and press related? and How are speech and press key to democratic functions? Students will demonstrate understanding by applying Supreme Court decisions, including the AP Government and Politics required case New York Times Co. v. United States, to evaluate the scenario presented earlier in the lesson.