Commentary by Betsy Ahlersmeyer
Journalism Teacher/Adviser, University Schools (Muncie, Ind.)



The Future of the First Amendment III study commissioned by the Knight Foundation and released in September 2007 shows while some progress has been made in the area of First Amendment knowledge, there is still a long way to go.

It is gratifying to know there has been a significant increase in students taking classes dealing with the First Amendment and in teachers teaching about the First Amendment. I believe this can be attributed to the increased awareness brought to the subject by the Knight Foundation Study. The first step in correcting a problem is to acknowledge a problem exists in the first place. The first study was well publicized and educators took action.

As far as recognition of “Constitution Day” is concerned, many teachers see this mandate as yet one more requirement legislators have put upon the teaching profession. Just covering all of the state standards is enough to keep a classroom busy, let alone add more requirements on top of that. Planning for a day of activities demands planning that needs to begin before the start of the school year so the program in is place by mid-September. Administrators need to take the lead in this area to get the events into the calendar and ensure the planning gets done. Perhaps educational television could play a role in providing programming on “Constitution Day” and then teachers could tap into it simply by turning on the television set.

The fact that teenagers are more supportive of free expression rights that directly affect or interest them is, as any one who works with this age group knows, fairly typical behavior. With all of the issues a teenager deals with in their lives, they can only be concerned with those things that directly affect them. Unfortunately, it falls on parents and teachers to show them how many things are or will be important to them in their future.

The fourth point of the key findings in the new study illustrates how influential parents are when it comes to media issues. Parents still control the remote when it comes time for the six o’clock news. What students don’t understand is how their parents choose a broadcast for its style and content.

When it comes to seeking their own media outlets, habits are hard to change and students will gravitate towards known and familiar outlets before branching out and making choices on their own.