Discussion Post: The First Amendment

As a journalist, the First Amendment plays an extremely important part in my career, both today and in the future. As I sit here writing this post, I am exercising my right to free speech. However, this amendment does not only guarantee my right to free speech, but also to petition, assembly, religion, and most important of all, the press. Each and every time I am allowed to write or say something, I have the First Amendment to thank for the ability.

However, this right does not give me the ability to say absolutely anything with no chance for backlash or reprimand. There are certain cases, such as libel, that a journalist needs to be careful of. These certain cases could ultimately cost them their career if committed on a harsh enough level.

Alongside this, according to some of my peers, it is obvious that sites such as Instagram and Facebook hold the ability to monitor what people are saying on their platforms. While this might spark debate sometimes, there are certain reasons why these sites are not violating your First Amendment rights by taking your post down. The main reason for this? The First Amendment protects you from the government taking away your right to free speech; Instagram is not a government agency.

Image from www.history.com, cited as work by zimmytws on Getty Images.