The First Amendment has had a nice showing in the current election cycle. Almost every day there's a new debate about whether the flood of threats, misstatements and accusations being bandied about are entitled to protection. So instead of covering all of that here, I say we use the opportunity to take a look at [...]
Threats, trolls, online harassment – what's a First Amendment lover to think about where we're going with social media? After the shooting of five Dallas police and transit officers at a Black Lives Matter rally this summer and a similar incident in Baton Rouge, Facebook and Twitter sizzled with incendiary statements calling for more violence [...]
Kathryn Winslow Her name was Kathryn Winslow. She was a novelist, businesswoman, a publicist for a World’s Fair, and a reporter and columnist for the Chicago Tribune. She was also the first woman honored by the Illinois Woman’s Press Association as its “Woman of Achievement.” The author of three books, the first Big [...]
There’s no shortage of First Amendment fodder as this unprecedentedly weird election cycle unfolds. Where do the candidates stand? Here’s a few things you should know. The most important First Amendment position taken by any of the candidates is Democrat Hillary Clinton’s announcement that she would seek a reversal of the Supreme Court’s ominously democracy-hobbling [...]
Schools are not simply places that students go to learn reading, math and kick around a soccer ball during gym. They are the essential training ground for participation in our representative democracy. It's important that students learn to voice their opinions, and consider and respond to unfamiliar or disagreeable ideas. Since the Supreme Court's 1988 [...]
Longtime IWPA Member Pat Szpekowski Pat Szpekowski, APR, a 20-year member of the Illinois Woman's Press Association, recently received a first place recognition in the category of "Best coverage of a routine, sacramental event: weekly Diocesan newspaper, circulation 25,000 or less," from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada at [...]
Nellie Murphy, a student at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago, took third place honors in the Yearbook Photo category at the NFPW High School Contest. Murphy's winning photo, Lollapalooza, was awarded first place in the same category in the IWPA High School Communications Contest. The IWPA contest judge said of Murphy's photo: [...]
“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” - First Amendment to the United States Constitution As disparate as our nation’s politics, lifestyles, races, genders, or economic opinions may be we agree on one thing. Freedom of speech and of the press are critical. The ability to express [...]
The Constitution's framers intentionally provided the press with broad freedom, believing it necessary to the establishment of a strong, independent (if unofficial) "fourth branch" of the government. At the end of each month, IWPA's First Amendment network offers a roundup of free speech discussions trending in the media. Have you read about, or experienced an issue impacting First Amendment [...]
The 21st Annual Senior Lifestyle Expo will be held Tuesday August 23 - Wednesday August 24, 2016! The Expo's continuing mission is to bring seniors together with the products and services that are invaluable to maintaining their quality of life. It will feature over 100 booths, an entertainment stage, health and wellness info, interactive activities and educational [...]
