Running head: Freedom of Speech in the US 1

Freedom of Speech in the US

Brianna Stewart

North Carolina A&T State University

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Table of Contents

Freedom of Speech in the US ............................................................................................. 3

Principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the United States......................... 4

The Right to Dissent ....................................................................................................... 5

The Right to Monitor Power ....................................................................................... 6

References ........................................................................................................................... 8

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Freedom of Speech in the US

The right to speak freely has been a controversial conversation for a long time. Since

democracy was set up in many different countries to give wellbeing and rights, the right to speak

freely has been a standout amongst the most critical rights in any constitution. This establishes a

human right that all individuals must have and one that must be regarded. As people, we have the

right to express our thoughts and feelings, through print and other media outlets. Depending on

what country, there is a different level of tolerance and limitations when dealing with this. Once

in a while the right to speak freely can turn out to be more unsafe than accommodating. This

freedom tells you what occurs in regular day to day existence, makes you mindful, advises you,

yet damages when it isn't reliable or credible. The right to speak freely can change the course of

numerous things; lives, jobs, even history. For some individuals this freedom to express their

emotions has been helpful and truthful. For others, their fake news has made it hard for everyone

else.

Freedom of speech has had an incredible impact and has changed the course of history.

Since the beginning of time, people have shown the need to express what they believe is correct

and what must be changed. Therefore, the world has been changed into a progressively tolerant

society towards different societies, religions and customs. A lot of things that used to be discreet

and not talked about are now out in the open freely. Media outlets such as television shows,

movies and books are now more inclusive of everyone because of freedom of speech. Although

this is not in all countries, the right to freedom of speech has come a long way.
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Principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the United States

There are many principles of freedom of speech that everyone in the United States must

follow. The five core principles are the most relevent. Truth and accuracy are an important factor

when informing the public on vital situations. It would be harmful to spread false information to

the public. Journalists must be independent and not act on special interests. Every story has more

than one side that needs to be told. It is a journalist’s job to make sure that their story is fair and

includes all sides. They should do no harm or publish anything hurtful due to the humanity

principal. All journalists should take accountability for their work.

Freedom of speech in all forms is a very important factor in democratic societies. Under

the terms of Article 13 of the American Convention on Human rights, everyone has the right to

take part in information and give their opinion freely without discrimination of the race, gender,

religion or anything else. Everyone also has the right to access information regarding themselves

whether it is in a data base public or private, and if necessary they can update it or even delete it.

They can have access to information held by the state with limitations based on the safety of the

situation. Prior censorship of expression or opinion expressed through word of mouth, print, art

or social media is prohibited by law. Any restriction to the spread of ideas and opinions violate

the right of freedom of speech.

Everyone has the right to share their views in any form. Requiring a university degree or

practice of journalism to have freedom of press is illegal. The prior conditioning of speech is

incompatible with the right to freedom of speech. All social communicators have the right to

privacy of their information. It is illegal to murder, kidnap, intimidate or ruin material of social

communicators, it is the state’s job to prevent and investigate these causes and punish the
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perpetrator. Privacy laws should not restrict investigation of information of public interest. A

person’s reputation can be protected through civil sanctions if the person offended is a public

official or a private person who has voluntarily become involved in public interest. In a case

such as this, it must be proven that the social communicator had the intent to harm or purposely

spread false news against the victim.

Public officials are always subject to greater criticism by the public. There are laws that

prohibit offensive and negative expressions directed at public officials. These are known as

desacato laws. Any monopoly or oligopoly in control of a communication media must be subject

to anti-trust laws. They limit the diversity to conspire against democracy. These laws can never

apply exclusively to the media. It must provide equal opportunity to freedom of speech to

everyone. The use of power and public funds by the state, the granting of customs duty

privileges, discrimination against placement of official advertising and government loans, the

concession of radio and television broadcast frequencies, with the purpose to punish or reward

social communicators and communications media because of their opinions threaten freedom

of speech and is illegal. The means of communication have the right to carry out their role

independently. Direct or indirect pressures put on journalists to pressure the distribution of

information are not compatible with freedom of speech.

The Right to Dissent

Dissent is a philosophy of non-agreement to a prevailing idea. A lot of people feel that in order

to be a healthy democracy the government needs to protect and encourage dissent. The founders

of the United States Constitution came to an understanding that people should have freedom to
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express their disagreement with the government and that it is an important factor in democracy.

The First amendment makes it clear that Americans have the right to peacefully protest and

petition when they disagree with the government. The government is ensured that it is for and by

the people of the United States. Although you have the freedom to disagree, you cannot act out

violently or spread false news to the public. This behavior will lead to serious forms of

censorship.

The Right to Monitor Power

Journalism can often be a voice for those who feel they don’t have one. It is a way to get

different ideas out into the public that many want to share. The purpose of monitoring power is

to make sure the management and execution of power is transparent. It is a journalist’s

responsibility to find information hidden to society. A lot of people are not informed to what is

happening with the government. Journalist should protect this freedom by not abusing it or using

it for commercial gain.

The Right to Petition and Assemble

The right to petition is to seek the assistance or complain to the government without fear

or punishment. It allows citizens to point out to the government where it did not follow the law,

and to make changes. Freedom of speech is recognized by the First Amendment and first came

into actions in the early 1800’s. Petitions against slavery had just started being distributed in the

District of Columbia. It began to flow into Congress constantly and was soon banned. Five years

later this rule was repealed. Now you can petition whenever and whatever you want as long as it

isn’t negative or harmful to a person’s character.

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The right to Petition is vital in American history. This right can be contrasted to the right

to instruct. It permits majority of constituents to a legislator to vote a certain way, while the right

to petition makes sure the government receives the arguments from the public. In this day in

time, all fifty states in the United States have the right to petition but it has been reduced to a

formality. Legislators have more power over the petition than the public. The right to assemble

often involves nonverbal communication. It can be a protest, parade or posters. It is the only

right in the First Amendment that requires more than one person. A person can speak by

themselves but not assemble.

Conclusion

Overall, freedom of speech has made a vital impact of the united states. The first

amendment is the most important for a democratic government. It allows citizens to

communicate and publish their ideas and thoughts. There are limitations to this freedom in order

to protect the character and safety of an individual. Freedom of Speech has helped journalism in

numerous ways.
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References

What We Do. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ncac.org/issue/political-dissent

The elements of journalism. (2013, October 09). Retrieved from

https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/elements-
journalism/

Five Principles of Ethical Journalism. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/who-we-are/5-principles-of-journalism

Interactive Constitution: Right to assemble and petition. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/interactive-constitution-right-to-assemble-and-petition

Voa, & Voa. (2017, February 22). U.S. Institutions - Why is the First Amendment Important?
Retrieved from https://editorials.voa.gov/a/the-importance-of-the-first-amendment-
/3733070.html