For More First Amendment Study News - Go to www.jideas.org/news.php |
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| Visit this site for tips on how to teach the First Amendment in your classroom. http://www.teachfirstamendment.org/ |
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| ASNE - Scholastic journalism site for teen journalists, teachers, guidance counselors, and the editors of professional newspapers. Where to go to start a newspaper. www.highschooljournalism.org |
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| SPLC - Provides legal advice and information and low-cost educational materials for student journalists on various legal topics. www.splc.org |
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| RTNDF - The High School Electronic Journalism Project seeks to identify, inspire, train and challenge the next generation of diverse electronic journalists and First Amendment advocates. http://www.rtndf.org/ |
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| Channel One Network is the pre-eminent news and public affairs content provider to teens. Channel One's mission is to spark debate and discussion among teens, and also discussion between young people and their parents and educators, on the important issues affecting young people in America. http://www.channelone.com |
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| '07 survey shows Americans' views mixed on basic freedoms: nearly two-thirds say founders intended ‘Christian nation’; support rises for limits on campaign contributions. http://www.fac.org |
| Future of the First Amendment | |||||||||||||||||
| Home > Report 9-18-06 Student Survey | |||||||||||||||||
| Report Lead - Summary - Key Finding 1 - Key Finding 2 - Key Finding 3 - Key Finding 4 - Methodology - Student Survey - Faculty Survey - Comments | |||||||||||||||||
| High School Student Survey - 2006 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1. What grade are you currently in? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Below 9th | 2% | 0% | |||||||||||||||
| 9th | 29% | 30% | |||||||||||||||
| 10th | 27% | 27% | |||||||||||||||
| 11th | 23% | 24% | |||||||||||||||
| 12th | 19% | 18% | |||||||||||||||
| 2a. Have you ever taken classes in high school that dealt with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 58% | 72% | |||||||||||||||
| No | 42% | 28% | |||||||||||||||
| 2b. Have you ever taken classes in high school that discuss the role of media in society? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 52% | 62% | |||||||||||||||
| No | 48% | 38% | |||||||||||||||
| 2c. Have you ever taken classes in high school that dealt primarily with journalism skills? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 21% | 26% | |||||||||||||||
| No | 79% | 74% | |||||||||||||||
| 2d. Have you ever taken a class in high school where the teacher required as a class assignment that you read a newspaper or watch television news? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 75% | 81% | |||||||||||||||
| No | 25% | 19% | |||||||||||||||
| 3. Please indicate whether or not you have been involved in any of the following activities at your high school (check all that apply) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Student newspaper | 8% | 10% | |||||||||||||||
| Student magazine with a news component (does not include literary magazines or yearbooks) | 4% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| Student-run radio station with a news component | 4% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| Student-run television station with a news component | 5% | 5% | |||||||||||||||
| Student Internet or World Wide Web publication with a news component | 5% | 4% | |||||||||||||||
| Any other form of student media with a news component | 5% | 4% | |||||||||||||||
| 4. The First Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution more than 200 years ago. This is what it says:
“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 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Based on your own feelings about the First Amendment, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. |
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| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 12% | 18% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 23% | 27% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 19% | 16% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 25% | 21% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 21% | 19% | |||||||||||||||
| 5. Overall, do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Too much freedom | 32% | 30% | |||||||||||||||
| Too little freedom | 10% | 11% | |||||||||||||||
| About right | 37% | 41% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't know | 21% | 18% | |||||||||||||||
| 6a. People should be allowed to express unpopular opinions. | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 51% | 52% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 32% | 33% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 5% | 5% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 2% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 10% | 8% | |||||||||||||||
| 6b. People should be allowed to burn or deface the American flag as a political statement. | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 8% | 7% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 8% | 9% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 11% | 12% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 63% | 64% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 10% | 8% | |||||||||||||||
| 6c. Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics that others might find offensive. | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 40% | 37% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 30% | 32% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 14% | 16% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 7% | 7% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 9% | 8% | |||||||||||||||
| 6d. Newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story. | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 24% | 26% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 27% | 28% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 22% | 23% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 14% | 13% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 13% | 10% | |||||||||||||||
| 6e. High school students should be allowed to report controversial issues in their student newspapers without the approval of school authorities. | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 30% | 34% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 28% | 30% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 18% | 17% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 11% | 8% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 13% | 11% | |||||||||||||||
| 7. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “Americans don’t appreciate First Amendment freedoms the way they ought to.” |
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| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strongly agree | 17% | 15% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy agree | 33% | 38% | |||||||||||||||
| Mildy disagree | 18% | 17% | |||||||||||||||
| Strongly disagree | 9% | 7% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't Know | 23% | 23% | |||||||||||||||
| 8. Are the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment something you personally think about or are they something you take for granted? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Personally think about | 27% | 24% | |||||||||||||||
| Take for granted | 36% | 42% | |||||||||||||||
| Don't know | 37% | 34% | |||||||||||||||
| 9. Are you male or female? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Male | 50% | 50% | |||||||||||||||
| Female | 50% | 50% | |||||||||||||||
| 10. Are you Spanish/Hispanic/Latino? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 15% | 12% | |||||||||||||||
| No | 85% | 88% | |||||||||||||||
| 11. What is your race? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| White/Caucasian | 68% | 73% | |||||||||||||||
| Black/African-American | 14% | 11% | |||||||||||||||
| American Indian/Alaska native | 2% | 1% | |||||||||||||||
| Asian | 4% | 3% | |||||||||||||||
| Some other race | 12% | 12% | |||||||||||||||
| 12. Thinking about your family’s current financial situation do you consider yourself to be rich, upper income, middle income, lower income, or poor? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Rich | 5% | 4% | |||||||||||||||
| Upper income | 23% | 24% | |||||||||||||||
| Middle income | 59% | 61% | |||||||||||||||
| Lower income | 10% | 9% | |||||||||||||||
| Poor | 4% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| 13. What is your approximate overall high school grade point average? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| 0 0.0-2.0 (or 0-75) | 7% | 6% | |||||||||||||||
| 2.1-3.0 (or 76-85) | 31% | 31% | |||||||||||||||
| 3.1-3.5 (or 86-90) | 31% | 32% | |||||||||||||||
| 3.6-4.0 (or 91-95) | 22% | 23% | |||||||||||||||
| Over 4.0 (over 95) | 9% | 8% | |||||||||||||||
| 14. Which of the following grades is closest to your current overall grade point average? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| A | 28% | 30% | |||||||||||||||
| B | 42% | 45% | |||||||||||||||
| C | 23% | 21% | |||||||||||||||
| D | 4% | 3% | |||||||||||||||
| F | 2% | 1% | |||||||||||||||
| 15. Which of the following best describes you? | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| I was born a U.S. citizen | 90% | 94% | |||||||||||||||
| I was born in another country, but became a U.S. citizen | 5% | 3% | |||||||||||||||
| I was born in another country, and I am not a U.S. citizen | 5% | 3% | |||||||||||||||
| Please note: For the student survey, the results are accurate to within a margin of plus or minus 1 percent. For the faculty questions, the results are accurate to within a plus or minus 3.6 percent. | |||||||||||||||||
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