#DemocracyInAction: Community members share thoughts on freedom of press

By Greta Irvine, Editor in Chief
February 25, 2022

#DemocracyInAction is the theme to conclude Scholastic Journalism Week 2022, drawing attention to the crucial role of the freedom of the press in the functioning of a democracy. Looking inward, The Oracle explored how community members understand and value the freedom of the press. Teachers and students were asked about their news consumption as well the First Amendment and its role in their personal lives and the wider community.

Photo credit: Cadence Callahan. Junior Karen Garcia holds up her phone displaying the site ProCon.org. Garcia said she values this source because it allows her to digest news and information. “It makes forming my own opinions more accessible and I’m more eager to learn about more topics because I have that access,” Garcia said.

What is a news source you value?

Karen Garcia [KG]: I value the source ProCon.org. It is one of the best sources that I think is great for finding out different sides of a story. As teenagers and as high schoolers, I think it’s important to form our own opinions that are separate from other influences that may impact what we believe. ProCon.org does a great job at simplifying and condensing these large topics that may seem very intimidating and making them more accessible, so I can understand them personally.

What do you know about the First Amendment?

[KG]: I know that the First Amendment grants us the right to free speech and the freedom to say what we believe in. I think that one of the things I’d like to learn more about is the ways in which free speech is amplified and also the ways in which free speech can be restricted in different parts of the country, even though it is a right we have.

Photo credit: Greta Irvine. History teacher Margaret Shirk listens to NPR on a day-to-day basis and reads other news sources throughout the day. “I do try to pop onto different sites to see how headlines are different because each source focuses on different events,” Shirk said.

Being that you look at many different news sources throughout your day-to-day life and have access to lots of information, how do you value the freedom of the press?

Margeret Shirk [MS]: I think having multiple sources is a blessing and a curse because I think that I feel sometimes so overwhelmed by how much news is actually out there, and I don’t have time to sift through it all. So it’s wonderful because at my fingertip, on my phone or my computer or radio, there’s so many different ways to consume the news, but at the same time, I feel like I don’t have enough time in my day to know enough about every current event that’s happening.

What do you think the role of the First Amendment is in today’s world?

[MS]: I think freedom of press is absolutely essential. It’s so complicated. I think where it gets tricky is with social media, because I think a lot of people are taking social media as news in fact, and the amount of misinformation that’s out there can get in the way of people consuming real legitimate news and so we are at a pivotal place in our country where we’re so divided because our resources are so different.

Photo credit: Audrey Chang. Sophomore Malia Apor holds up her phone displaying the site CNN. Apor said her favorite news sources are CNN and Apple News.

What do you know about the First Amendment and how does it impact the way you consume media? 

Malia Apor [MA]: What I know about the First Amendment is it allows all of us to have freedom of speech and opinions and to be able to share opinions … I think it allows us to question what we see and allow us to have our own opinion on what we see from the media, and judge it in a way of what we want to believe and what we don’t want to believe. If the First Amendment wasn’t a thing, then we wouldn’t be allowed to do that.

Why do you value press freedom?

[MA]: I value press freedom because I think it’s something we take advantage of here, but after learning about other countries who don’t have press freedom, it makes you appreciate that we can have our own opinions … I think [press freedom] is important because we can question what’s going on in our society and figure out what we believe is right or wrong.