FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Catalog description

(Slashed with COMM 55007 ) What kind of speech is protected by the First Amendment? What can the government censor? How have issues like libel, slander, sedition, blasphemy, obscenity and words that provoke people to anger affect how we communicate in today’s society? It seems simple at first, "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.” Yet, ever since its adoption, these 45 words have been a point of contention for citizens, the Supreme Court and the government. This course will help students grasp why the First Amendment is an important part of American life, what it protects and why it matters personally and professionally.