Freedom of the Press and NIE
By Jim Abbott
Let me state right from the first line of this column that I am a strong believer in Freedom of the Press and all the other rights granted to the people of the United States by our Bill of Rights. I am also a strong believer that NIE programs must be supporters of these rights as well…even when they mean a possible loss of business.
NIE professionals throughout the country are frequently confronted with questions or comments from schools or sponsors that relate to First Amendment issues. This is something you should think about before you reach a confrontation with a teacher or a vendor. Let me share some examples of issues that have been brought to the attention of NIE professionals.
A school principal once called me, when I was the NIE director in Portland, Maine, asking that all scheduled deliveries to his school be cancelled. When asked why, he said that he objected to an advertisement that was run in our newspaper. The ad in question was placed by an establishment that offered "topless" entertainment. The ad was done in good taste—or as good taste as is possible given the subject matter. It was placed by an establishment licensed to do business in the city. What would your response be to this principal?
I know of schools and teachers who have cancelled their subscriptions to local newspapers because they were upset by stories that reflected unfavorably on them. What would you say to them?
I know of sponsors who have withdrawn sponsorship money for a local NIE program because the newspaper ran stories about OSHA violations
at the business and others who have refused sponsorships because of stories in the newspaper that told of discrimination practices within the business. What would you say to those sponsors?
I know that at least one newspaper in Vermont lost significant numbers of NIE subscribers because the newspaper wrote editorials supporting the passage of a "civil unions" bill by the state legislator. What would you say to those schools or teachers?
Many of you know about protests we received because we have accepted sponsorship money from an organization who provides a service that some people do not like. What would your response have been?
My response in each of these cases has to be the same, "Are you suggesting that we should censor the newspaper? If you think we should, who should make those decisions?"
As long as advertisements are bought by legitimate businesses and as long as the content of the newspaper does not violate libel laws I can see no reason why we should restrict what is printed. I believe the same is true for other media as well.
The people in the examples above are completely within their rights to cancel subscription to our products. And in each case, the newspaper was well within its legal rights to publish what it did.
The losers in every example above are the students. They could have had an opportunity to evaluate the information presented and make decisions on what they believe is right. They could write letters to the editor expressing other viewpoints. Drawing conclusions, comparing and contrasting points of view, and persuasive writing are in all the state standards.
All of us have seen items in the newspaper or other media that we wish were not there. The answer is not to prohibit publication but to learn other, more productive ways to respond.
Yes, each of the examples here led to a loss of circulation, at least a temporary loss, but the First Amendment is the cornerstone of our free society. Nothing is more important than protecting that freedom.