New Report Card Gives the First Amendment a C+ in the Age of the Trump Administration

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The first in a series of quarterly “report cards” grading the state of the five First Amendment freedoms was released today by the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center.

The report card, titled “The First Amendment in the Age of Trump,” aims to provide a credible and systematic assessment of our core freedoms based on grades provided by a panel of the nation’s leading constitutional experts. The panel assigned the grades as such: religion (C+); speech (C+); press (C); assembly (B-); petition (B-). The grades average a C+.

The right to a free press received the lowest grade point average of all five freedoms. Panelists pointed to the following factors: President Trump’s campaign promise to open up libel laws in order to more easily sue media outlets; certain media outlets being blocked from attending White House briefings; the “fake news” phenomenon, coupled with the president using the “fake news” label to attack the media; and the president’s general enmity for the press.

Assembly and petition received the highest grades, with panelists noting that recent protests and political marches were classic demonstrations of both freedoms, and that the government took no action to hamper them or the resulting media coverage.

“Rarely in our lifetimes has there been more controversy about the state of our First Amendment freedoms,” said Lata Nott, executive director of the First Amendment Center. “It is critically important for our nation to have serious discussions about the threats and opportunities we face in maintaining and trying to enhance our democracy.”

The grading was performed by fifteen panelists from across the political spectrum, each of whom have committed to providing quarterly updates of their grades for one year. Panelists were advised to consider the following four elements in their evaluations: legislation, executive orders, judicial decisions and public opinion; and also to consider long-term trends and actions.

ABOUT THE NEWSEUM INSTITUTE’S FIRST AMENDMENT CENTER
The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center is a forum for the study and exploration of issues related to free expression, religious freedom, and press freedom, and an authoritative source of information, news, and analysis of these issues. The Center provides education, information and entertainment to educators, students, policy makers, legal experts, and the general public. The Center is nonpartisan and does not lobby, litigate or provide legal advice. The Newseum Institute promotes the study, exploration and education of the challenges confronting freedom through its First Amendment Center and the Religious Freedom Center. The Newseum is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by generous individuals, corporations and foundations, including the Freedom Forum. For more information, visit newseuminstitute.org or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center