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online discourse is increasingly uncivil. In
fact, the report found that only 29 per cent of
current US college students say “discussion
on social media is usually civil”, a drop from
41 per cent in 2016.
“More students than in the past agree that
social media can stifle free speech — both
because people block those whose views
they disagree with (60 per cent, up from
48 per cent in 2016) and because people are
afraid of being attacked or shamed by those
who disagree with them (58 per cent, up
from 49 per cent in 2016), the report said.
Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP
Freedom under fire?
Student beliefs about freedom of
speech analysed.
By Wade Zaglas
A
new report released by the Knight
Foundation and Gallup Inc shows
that US college students generally
support free speech, but a more nuanced
analysis highlights a divide based on ethnicity
and gender, as well as the insidious effect of
social media.
The value of free speech
The report, titled ‘The First Amendment on
Campus 2020 Report: College Students’
Views of Free Expression’, found that
seven in 10 college students (68 per cent)
regarded the right to free speech as being
“extremely important” to democratic
models of government. At the same time,
69 per cent of respondents said an inclusive
society that welcomes diverse groups is
equally important.
In addition, a significant 81 per cent of
students supported “a campus environment
where students are exposed to all types of
speech, even if they may find it offensive”.
Such a statistic is at odds with some
universities around the world which have
banned controversial speakers appearing at
college lectures and panel discussions.
The influence of race and gender
The Knight and Gallup report also found that
race and gender play a pivotal role in how
individuals view free speech. For instance,
white, non-Hispanic male students are
more likely “to strongly agree” that the First
Amendment of the US Constitution protects
people like them.
Other salient statistics frame freedom of
speech as largely a white male construction.
For instance, the report found that women
are twice as likely as men (23 vs 11 per cent)
“to prefer that colleges protect students by
prohibiting certain types of speech rather
than exposing them to all types of speech”.
Also, black college students were nearly
twice as likely as their white counterparts to
prefer that their college prohibit certain types
of speech (28 per cent vs 15 per cent).
Further, 38 per cent of students (up
from 25 per cent in 2017) said “they have
personally felt uncomfortable because of
something someone said on campus”. And
students who felt uncomfortable are “most
likely to report that the offending comments
referenced their race or gender”.
Free speech and free press
The report concluded that US college
students “see free speech and free press as
less secure than they did in 2016”.
Indeed, US college students’ belief in free
speech rights has dropped from 73 per cent
in 2016 to 64 per cent in 2017.
Press freedom was another concern. In
2016, 81 per cent of respondents believed
press freedom rights were secure. This
dipped markedly to 60 per cent in 2017, but
has now improved slightly to 65 per cent.
Concerningly, most students polled
believe that free speech “is less secure than
other First Amendment rights”, and 63 per
cent of students agree that their campus
climate “can deter free speech”, up from
54 per cent in 2016.
Social media and free speech
While many US college students regard
social media as “the central form of campus
discussion”, there is general agreement that
Conclusion
In a similar vein to the 2016 and 2017 surveys,
US college students appear to strongly
espouse the ideals of free expression
enshrined in the First Amendment, including
political dissent. However, as the report
shows, there are limits to free speech, and
many of the respondents believe free speech
protections should not be “extended to
hateful speech targeting minority groups”.
A sobering finding in the report is that
US college students today view First
Amendment freedoms as less secure than in
previous years.
“Today’s students are also more likely
than those a few years ago to report feeling
uncomfortable – if not unsafe – because
of things others have said on campus,” the
report says.
While most concur that the First
Amendment protects their freedom of
speech, a variety of subgroups hold contrary
views and “are more willing to endorse
campus policies that impose restrictions on
hate speech”. These include women, racial
minorities and Democrats.
“These differences indicate that college
students’ backgrounds and experiences
greatly shape their views of the limits of free
speech,” the report said.
“As such, colleges may find a one-size-fits-
all approach to promoting free expression
will likely leave many students unhappy
with campus policies and possibly feeling
marginalised on campus.
“The challenge of achieving a balanced
policy on free expression has become
more complicated as technology has led to
much campus expression shifting online, a
place that students increasingly feel stifles
expression rather than promotes it.
“As such, colleges that want to ensure all
students have the opportunity to say what
they think in a respectful environment need
to take into account the virtual campus
environment as well as the physical one.” ■
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