First Amendment Knowledge Rises—But the Press Is Still Under Siege
[My last post about Constitution Day (September 17) was in 2020. (1)]
Constitution Day, 2025
Each year, the Annenberg Public Policy Center surveys Americans to gauge their understanding of constitutional rights. In 2020, the results were unsettling. When asked to name the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, most respondents could only identify one or two. This year’s survey shows modest improvement—but also a troubling national amnesia.
Freedom of Speech
In 2025, 79% of Americans correctly identified freedom of speech as a First Amendment right, up from 73% in 2020. That’s a welcome gain. Could this be linked to Elon Musk’s vocal promotion of “free speech” on X (formerly Twitter), even as critics accuse the platform of selectively silencing dissenting voices.
Freedom of Religion
This year, 48% of respondents named freedom of religion—9 points higher than in 2024. Yet it’s only 1 point better than 2020. It seems many Americans forgot this core freedom before relearning it, a reminder that civic knowledge is not a one-time achievement but a continual effort.
Assembly and Petition
The right to assemble rose to 36%, up 9 points from last year, but only 2 points above its 2020 level. Meanwhile, the right to petition the government fell from 14% in 2020 to just 12% today. Ironically, Americans continue to protest and march for causes—yet fewer recognize this as a protected constitutional right.
Freedom of the Press
Most alarming is the decline in recognition of press freedom. Only 34% of Americans identified it as a First Amendment guarantee—statistically unchanged from 2024, but 8 points lower than in 2020. This is the only constitutionally protected industry, and it’s in serious trouble.
The first thing that came to mind when I read this was the attitude of the current administration. President Trump has repeatedly referred to the press as “the enemy of the people,” and often scolds or humiliates reporters from outlets who “treat him unfairly”—meaning, those who challenge him.
Why the Founders Protected the Press
The Founders experienced firsthand how censorship stifled dissent and truth. Colonial printers were punished for criticizing British rule. To prevent such abuses, they enshrined freedom of the press in the Constitution because it:
Exposes abuses of power and prevents authoritarian control
Serves as a watchdog, holding officials and institutions to public scrutiny
A Fourth Estate in Decline
The current administration’s attacks on the press have weakened the fourth estate to the point of near collapse. Trust in journalism is at an historic low. Trump’s lawsuits and public threats have intimidated media outlets—some capitulate, others self-censor.
Experts call this “death by a thousand cuts”—a strategy that undermines transparency and the public’s right to know. (2) If Americans can no longer identify press freedom as a constitutional right, we risk losing not just the press—but the democracy it helps defend. We need to protect the press…so it can protect us.
(1) https://bloom-at.blogspot.com/2020/09/civics-teachers.html
(2) https://www.fastcompany.com/91324552/trump-media-crackdown-free-press-and-journalism-100-days
*Full disclosure; This piece is my own work, with proofreading and editing assistance from Microsoft Copilot—an AI writing tool.