Come to the Downtown Library for free talks about the First Amendment approached from three angles, inspired by the exhibit “Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective” at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
Journalism and the First Amendment
Wednesday, January 8, 6:00
A talk on “Journalism and the First Amendment” by Tim Gleason, University of Oregon Professor of Journalism and Director of the Ancil Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism. He will address questions including “is the marketplace of ideas broken?” and discuss journalism and the First Amendment “in a time of devalued facts and declining resources.”
Political Cartooning and Free Speech
Saturday, January 11, 2:00
Ethicist and cartoonist Tom Bivins will explore the intersection of free speech and ethical sensitivity, especially as they relate to editorial cartooning. According to Bivins, “Offensive subject matter in cartoons can sometimes be so loud that it drowns out anything else being said. A balance needs to be struck based on the guideline that just because something can be said doesn’t mean it should be said. The First Amendment simply allows you to do so. Your conscience takes over from there.” Professor Tom Bivins holds the John L. Hulteng Chair in Media Ethics and Responsibility at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
Freedom of the Press Under Trump
Saturday, January 18, 2:00
A talk by acclaimed scholar Kyo Ho Youm about freedom of speech and the press, with a focus on “critical attention to President Trump’s unending ‘war on the press’ and its actual or perceived impact at home and abroad.” According to Youm, “What’s made our country stand out from the rest of the world? The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: ‘Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.’ These days, however, discerning people are wondering if we remain exceptional in our free-press commitment.”
Kyu Ho Youm is the Jonathan Marshall First Amendment Chair at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. His work has been cited by U.S. and foreign courts, including the House of Lords in Great Britain and the High Court of Australia, as well as relied on worldwide by lawyers representing clients in press freedom litigation. Youm serves on the editorial boards of a dozen major law and communication journals in the U.S. and England.