Home > The Study > About > Participation and the First Amendment > Activities Participation Index

Participation and the First Amendment
Class Participation Index / Activities Participation Index / School Media Index

Download PDF of this section

Participation and the First Amendment

Activities Participation Index

While the School Media Index addresses what is offered by the schools, the Activity Participation Index (API) deals specifically with the amount and types of activities the students participate in. The API categorizes students based on the number of media-related activities they participate in at their school. Six activities comprise this index: newspaper, magazine, radio, television, Internet and other media activities. Three categories were created for students, depending on the level of their participation in student-run media-related activities. The majority of students (86 percent) does not participate in any media-related activities and are therefore designated as "no activity" on the index. Among the students who do participate in media-related activities, 8 percent participate in one activity (or "low activity"), 3 percent participate in two activities ("moderate activity"), and 3 percent participate in three or more activities ("high activity").

Activity Participation Index

Although a comparison of these three activity level groups can provide us with some general information about the possible relationship between participation in activities and knowledge, tolerance and appreciation for the. First Amendment, more specific conclusions can be drawn by looking at participation levels in each specific activity compared to the First Amendment issues that most directly correspond.

Consider the effect of participation in media activities on attitudes toward the freedom to publish. Just half (50 percent) of the no activity students agree that newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story; however, 56 to 57 percent of low , moderate and high activity students agree. While this range of agreement level across the API is significant, the deviation is even more pronounced when students who participate in a student newspaper (61 percent agree) are compared to those who do not participate in one (50 percent agree). Obviously students who participate in student newspapers are particularly sensitive to this issue.

Newspapers should be able to publish without government approval of a story

Newspapers should be able to publish without government approval of a story

The activity level of high school students does appear to affect their feelings about the press in America . As the activity level increases, so does the sentiment that the press in America has too little freedom to do what it wants. On the flip side, the lower the activity level of a student, the greater the sentiment that the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants. More than a quarter (27 percent) of high activity students think the press has too little freedom, but smaller percentages of moderate activity (15 percent), low activity (11 percent), and no activity (9 percent) students feel this way. A third (33 percent) of no activity students think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants. Again, the percentage of students who feel this way decreases as their activity level increases ( low activity -31 percent, moderate activity -28 percent, and high activity -25 percent). A significant percentage (16 to 21 percent depending on activity level) did not express an opinion either way to this question (i.e., answered "don't know"). However, when those "don't know" cases are removed, the trend remains the same among those students who expressed an opinion one way or the other.

Press in America have too much/too little freedom

The issue of whether or not students should be permitted to report controversial issues in their publications without approval from school administrators appears to hit home for many of the students surveyed. Perhaps this is why there is so little variance across media participation levels in students' attitudes on this one issue. Across media levels the majority of students agree that they should be allowed to report controversial issues without approval. Fifty-eight percent of no activity students, 64 percent of low activity students, 62 percent of moderate activity students and 56 percent of high activity students agree on this issue. Again, significant percentages of students across activity levels did not express any opinion at all on this issue (between 9 and 18 percent said they don't know). Yet among those who did express an opinion, the margin of variance is even narrower with just a three-percentage point difference between the highest and lowest percentage.

Again, even greater differences can be found when examining those students who participate in a student-run newspaper in particular. Whereas 64 percent of those who participate in a paper agree that high school students should be allowed to report controversial issues without approval of school authorities, fewer (58 percent) of those who do not participate in a newspaper agree with that right. Logically, those students who participate in a student-run newspaper would have stronger feelings about reporting practices in these papers. Still, all high school students remain somewhat sensitive on this issue, recognizing that even if they do not participate in the student newspapers at their schools, they would like for those papers to be able to report on controversial issues without the approval of the administration.

High school students should be allowed to report controversial issues in their papers without approval of school authorities.

Appreciation for the freedom of the press portion of the First Amendment may be influenced positively by student participation in media-related activities. However, an altogether different result occurs with regard to issues of tolerance for more controversial exercises of freedom of speech. Whereas 84 percent of no activity students agree that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions, just 67 percent of high media students agree. Further, while only 7 percent of all students disagree that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions, 20 percent of high activity students disagree with such forms of free speech expression.

People should be allowed to express unpopular opinions

A similar pattern emerges on another free speech issue: whether or not musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics that others might find offensive. While 70 percent of students overall agree that musicians should be allowed to sing such songs, a significantly smaller majority (58 percent) of high activity students agree. A greater percentage of high activity students than students at lower activity levels did not express an opinion either way on this issue (i.e., said "don't know"). Looking at just those students who expressed an opinion, the same pattern remains, but the gap is significantly narrowed; only eight percentage points separate the high activity students (69 percent agree) from the no activity students (77 percent agree).

Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics some might find offensive

A quite different pattern emerges when we explore one of the most controversial free speech issues of all: whether or not one should have the right to burn the American flag as a form of protest. The students who participate in media-related activities significantly differ from the general student population on this issue. The vast majority (74 percent) of high school students overall disagree that people should be allowed to burn or deface the American flag as a political statement. However, just 47 percent of high activity students disagree. Furthermore, the majority of students overall (63 percent) as well as majorities of no activity (65 percent), low activity (60 percent), and moderate activity (54 percent) strongly disagree while just a third (33 percent) of high activity students strongly disagree. And while 4 in 10 (39 percent) of high activity students agree that people should be allowed to burn the flag as a political statement, just 23 percent of moderate activity , 20 percent of low activity , and 15 percent of no activity students agree.

People should be allowed to burn or deface the American flag as a political statement

Activity Participation Index levels often influence the degree of tolerance expressed for freedom of the press and freedom of speech, but the impact is not universal. Apparently that impact depends in part on the specific issue under consideration and how that issue relates to the students. Specific freedom of press issues are impacted by API level: the more media-related activities a student participates in, the more tolerance that student has for press freedom. The impact on specific freedom of speech issues is less clear. Tolerance for the very controversial issue of flag burning as a political statement increased as API increased, but tolerance for expressing unpopular opinions and for musicians' lyrics that may be offensive to some actually decreased as API increased. Clearly students may still be forming their opinions on many of these particular First Amendment issues. What about the opinions of students on more general First Amendment issues? Do students think the First Amendment goes too far? Do they personally think about their First Amendment rights? Do they think Americans appreciate the amendment the way they ought to?

While just over a third of all high school students (35 percent) thinks the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees, half (51 percent) of high activity students agree. The level of agreement decreases as activity levels decrease (38 percent- moderate activity , 34 percent- low activity , 33 percent- no activity ). Again though, those who do not participate in any activities are less likely than those who participate in at least one activity to express an opinion one way or another. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of the no activity students did not express an opinion/said don't know, whereas fewer (16-17 percent) of those who participate did not express an opinion. This trend remains and may even be more pronounced when we isolate those who expressed an opinion. Overall, it appears that many high school students are still forming their opinion on this issue.

The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees

Overall

The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees

Only those who expressed an opinion

Those who participate in more media-related activities are slightly more likely to agree that Americans do not appreciate First Amendment freedoms the way they ought to. However, when examining only those who expressed an opinion, students across activity participation levels feel similarly on this issue. When asked specifically if the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment are something they personally think about or something they take for granted, a greater percentage of students who participate in activities say they personally think about these rights. Again, substantial percentages (28 to 37 percent) of students did not express an opinion one way or the other on this question. When we remove those who said "don't know" and just look at those who expressed an opinion, the trend holds, as 51 percent of high activity students say they personally think about the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, whereas just 42 percent of no activity students say they do.

Personally think about or take for granted rights guaranteed by the First Amendment?

It appears therefore that students who participate in media-related activities think about their First Amendment rights far more than those who do not participate in activities. However, a lot of students do not know if they think about this issue. Those high activity students who say they personally think about these rights also think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees, whereas those who do not personally think about the rights do not think it goes too far. Also, those with more experience with media activities are also more apt to think most people personally think about their First Amendment rights than those with little or no experience.

Most people in the United States personally think about or take for granted rights guaranteed by the First Amendment

Overall

Most people in the United States personally think about or take for granted rights guaranteed by the First Amendment

Only those who expressed an opinion

All of this points to the possibility that high activity students personally think about their First Amendment rights to a greater degree than those lower on the API. However, a higher percentage of these high activity students also think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. High activity students are also more tolerant of burning the flag as a political statement then lower activity students, but are less tolerant of people expressing unpopular opinions and of musicians singing songs with lyrics that might be offensive to some.

Student API level not only has an effect on attitudes and tolerance toward the First Amendment as discussed above, but it also has an effect on knowledge and understanding of current laws. Like the effects on attitudes and tolerance, the effect on knowledge levels varies depending on the specific legal issue in question. No specific pattern emerges when we look at the effect of API on knowledge of current laws dealing with the First Amendment. For example, a greater percentage of high activity students (40 percent) correctly stated that under current law, Americans have the legal right to burn the American flag as a means of political protest, whereas less than a quarter (23 percent) of no activity students know that this is currently legal (29 percent of low activity and 30 percent of moderate activity students know it is legal). However, when it comes to understanding the legality of the government's right to restrict indecent material on the Internet, those with less exposure to media activities register as slightly more knowledgeable. Whereas 51 percent of no activity students know that under current law the government does not have the right to restrict material on the Internet, a smaller percentage, 47 percent, of high activity students know that law.

Another law that no/low activity students express more familiarity with than higher activity students is the legality of shouting "fire" as a prank in a crowded arena. Whereas around three-quarters of no activity students (77 percent), low activity students (79 percent) and moderate activity students (74 percent) answered correctly on that issue, just 58 percent of high activity students did.

Knowledge of current law

Percent who answered correctly

	This web site is produced by J-IDEAS
	J-IDEAS is funded in part by the John S. and James  L. Knight Foundation's High School Initiative and Ball State University.		J-IDEAS Department ofJournalism Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. 47306 (765) 285-8923 Terms of Service