In the USA, Democracy affords freedoms that uphold life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as written in the Declaration of Independence. Such freedoms include free speech to express yourself; freedom of the press; freedom to assembly; freedom to petition the government, and freedom of religion. These freedoms are unalienable Rights that help grow our better angles.

The First Amendment records these freedoms in the Constitution as rights.

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

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our democracy.

Although what you say can have consequences—like losing friends or a job—it gives Americans the right to express opinions without government censorship or control. And more importantly–you can’t go to jail for expressing your opinion.

It not only protects speech that people like but speech that people don’t. Because when it comes to free speech, either everyone is protected or no one is at all. Thankfully because of the First Amendment, everything from car commercials to firey protests is protected.

Freedom of the press brings integrity to our democracy.

Freedom of the press states that expression and communication through published media – like in print and video – is a right. Freedom of the press is codified in multiple documents that set international standards. A government should not interfere with this freedom or censor media that are critical of state power. For years, freedom of the press has been an essential part of democracy. In a democracy, people have the right to choose their government either directly or by electing representatives. Why is freedom of the press so important for democracy to thrive? What are the threats to this freedom?

Truth, accountability, and informed voting: reasons why freedom of the press matters

A healthy democracy has guiding principles like citizen rule, fair and free elections, the protection of individual rights, and cooperation. To ensure these principles become a reality, a free press is important.

Why is freedom of the press so important?

Simply put, you can’t have much of a democracy without a free press. That’s because democracy’s strength rests in the hands of the people, meaning they have to be knowledgeable and informed in order to make the right decisions when they go to vote.

A free press fights for the truth

Freedom of the press matters because a free press uncovers the truth. There are many issues – often very complicated ones – that journalists are trained to analyze and explain. Without newspapers, radio shows, blogs, etc, the average person would have little to no knowledge of what’s going on around them. Most people lack the time and resources to investigate issues and stories that affect them and their communities. That’s where journalists come in. Armed with skills like research and critical thinking, the best journalists know what questions to ask, what leads to pursue, and how to fact-check. Fact-checking is a vital element of a free press. If the press is not able to fact-check safely and effectively, the truth remains buried.

A free press informs voters and strengthens democracy

Informed voting is the third reason why freedom of the press is so important. Democracies only thrive when voters are as informed as possible. Being informed ensures people understand the issues at hand and what policies and politicians best represent them. The press is the body that informs by analyzing information, encouraging discussion, and fact-checking. The freer the press, the better-informed voters can be. Without this freedom, voters would be at the mercy of politicians and special interest groups that want to win elections and promote specific legislation. It would be very difficult and time-consuming for voters to do all their work on their own. Strong media makes the process less complicated and offers valuable insight.

How freedom of the press is threatened

The press is threatened around the world. Some places are worse than others, but even in democracies, press freedom can face many challenges. Organizations like Reporters Without Borders track the number of journalists harassed, imprisoned, or killed. This info gives the world a sense of how serious the problem is. There are many threats to a free press, including:

Legal threats

Legal threats like libel and privacy lawsuits, source intimidation, and subpoenas for confidential information drain money and resources from news sources, delay or block stories, and make people afraid to talk to journalists.

Governmental threats

Government officials can make a journalist’s job much harder and even more dangerous. Actions include threatening to take away licenses, using inflammatory language against the press, and tracking or even arresting journalists. This abuse of power sows distrust in journalists, makes them a target for violence, and dampens the media’s ability to get out important stories.

Harassment and physical violence

Being a journalist can be a very dangerous job. Harassment is very common, especially for female journalists. Stalking, threatening, doxing, and trolling all serve to intimidate journalists and discourage them from working. Harassment can escalate to physical violence and include attacks, bomb threats, stolen equipment, and murder.

Protecting freedom of the press

What helps ensure that the press stays free and flourishing? Legislation that protects journalists and freedom of the press is one of the most important steps. “Shield laws,” which are laws that provide journalists with an absolute or qualified privilege to refuse to reveal their sources, are found in many places. A shield law protects both the journalist and their source. In the United States, there is no federal shield law, so many activists are working toward this goal. On an individual level, citizens can help protect the freedom of the press by staying informed about threats to press freedom and efforts to support free media. Supporting local newspapers is another way to stay informed and ensure that the issues most relevant to your daily life are being reported on. For the sake of democracy, freedom of the press is a right that every entity in society must care about and commit to protecting.

The freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is critical to a democracy in which the government is held accountable to the people. A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing. It is also a vibrant marketplace of ideas, a vehicle for ordinary citizens to express themselves and gain exposure to a wide range of information and opinions.

Freedom to peaceful assembly spotlights problems in our democracy.

Peaceful assembly is a bedrock of democratic institutions. It allows people to bring attention to issues, demand change, and get answers from public officials. Without freedom of assembly, there are fewer channels between elections for people to use information and opportunities for participation in open government.

Freedom of assembly ensures people can gather and meet, both publicly and privately. Assemblies can be platforms to advocate for change and for people to raise awareness about the issues that matter to them, whether it is human rights, socio-economic rights, or any other issue.

Adequate protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly strengthens democracies. It helps foster a culture of open democracy, enables non-violent participation in public affairs, and invigorates discussions on important issues.

The right to protest is essential in a democracy. It is a means for people to express dissatisfaction with current situations and assert demands for social, political, and economic change.

In the United States, freedom of assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States through the First Amendment. In general, freedom of assembly means that the government cannot prevent citizens from peacefully gathering or meeting in a public place.

Freedom to petition our government creates a fair democracy.

The First Amendment is the cornerstone of a government of, by, and for the people. One of the five freedoms it guarantees is the right of the people to petition the government for change. The right to petition protects our right to ask the government to fix a wrong or change a policy.

Freedom of religion keeps church and state separated.

The Separation Of Church And State Means That The Government Cannot Exercise Its Authority In Establishing A National Religion.

Schools constitute a local extension of the government which cannot make religion mandatory for all students. This clause of the First Amendment is the “Establishment Clause”.

This means that schools cannot have assemblies that promote religion. And classroom teachers cannot promote one religion (or nonreligion such as atheism) over another.

The Establishment Clause limits the free speech rights of teachers, principals, and staff when communicating with students in schools. However, students and Christian leaders have free speech rights as explained in the student rights section.

Religious freedom prevents the cultural majority from using the power of the state to impose their beliefs on others. This protects everyone—religious and nonreligious alike—from the government becoming so powerful that it can tell people what to think and how to act.

Religious freedom is more than the ‘freedom to worship’ at a synagogue, church, or mosque. It means people shouldn’t have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government.

Religious freedom protects people’s right to live, speak, and act according to their beliefs peacefully and publicly. It protects their ability to be themselves.

The Government Video explains the spirit of religion.

The Declaration of Independence was written to explain why Americans needed autonomy from the British–“taxation without representation.”

Throughout the 1760s and early 1770s, the North American colonists found themselves increasingly at odds with British imperial policies regarding taxation and frontier policy. When repeated protests failed to influence British policies, and instead resulted in the closing of the port of Boston and the declaration of martial law in Massachusetts, the colonial governments sent delegates to a Continental Congress to coordinate a colonial boycott of British goods.

American colonists, as a people, had the same rights to self-government as other nations. Because they possessed this fundamental right, they could establish new governments within each of the states and collectively assume their “separate and equal station” with other nations.

An evolving society

Due to a diverse population, systemic racism, social injustice, and income inequality. The Constitution had to be adjusted for the framers’ shortcomings when it was written.

In the decades after the Declaration of Independence, Americans began understanding the Declaration of Independence’s affirmation that “all men are created equal” in a different way than the framers intended. How did the founding fathers view equality? And how did these diverging interpretations emerge?

When Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal” in the preamble to the Declaration, he was not talking about individual equality. What he really meant was that the American colonists, as a people, had the same rights of self-government as other peoples, and hence could declare independence, create new governments, and assume their “separate and equal station” among other nations. However, with each passing generation, our notion of who this statement covers has expanded. It is that promise of equality that has always defined our constitutional creed.

To maintain our freedoms and case law that benefits the needs of our society

we must vote to make our voices heard to maintain our Democracy!

References: American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU)