Why The Commercial Appeal hired a full-time First Amendment beat reporter | Column
The Founding Fathers very clearly foresaw the danger of unchecked authority. Their writings go into great detail about the potential for government corruption, the lure of power, and the need for transparency.
This was a uniquely American concept and led to a uniquely American solution: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Five freedoms — of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — were not to be abridged.
Yet while Americans have consistently shown overwhelming support for the ideas behind the First Amendment, their understanding of how its promises should be interpreted has varied greatly. And they continue to evolve.
Tennessee has long been at the forefront of debate and decision over how these fundamental freedoms should manifest in a pluralistic society. We’re nearing the 100th anniversary of the landmark Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee and some of the same legal, theological and humanistic arguments that took place then are taking place today.
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Debate over the banning of books, school curriculum, the place of faith, access to government records, and free speech at college campuses and on social media are just a few of the issues of our day.
That’s why we’ve decided at the USA TODAY Network Tennessee that it is the right time to devote a full-time reporter focused on covering First Amendment issues.
The Freedom Forum has a long, distinguished history
Funded by the non-partisan Freedom Forum through Journalism Funding Partners, our reporter will be one of the first in the nation to be so dedicated, allowing us to consistently focus more attention and develop sophisticated storytelling around these critical freedoms.
What’s noteworthy is our approach. Some news organizations might cover the First Amendment as related to a press issue with a journalist whose beat is the media, or a question over religious freedom with a legal or religion reporter.
By bringing the topic under a single journalist, we’ll develop the deep sourcing, expertise and focus needed to explore these complex issues and keep them at the forefront of community discussion.
And while we will be mainly covering the issues of Tennessee, we’ll extend our reach more broadly throughout the South and nationally as developments dictate.
The Freedom Forum has a long history in Tennessee, through John Seigenthaler and other past editors, and through our parent company Gannett. The John Seigenthaler Center opened on the campus of Vanderbilt University more than 30 years ago. With such a rich legacy, it makes even more sense for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee to take this bold step.
The First Amendment distinguishes U.S. from autocracies
It is no coincidence the Bill of Rights begins with the First Amendment. The rights of free speech, freedom of religion, the right to petition, to peaceably assemble and the freedom of the press are foundational to democracy.
These freedoms are exactly what distinguishes the United States from totalitarian regimes such as those found in Syria, North Korea, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
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Government, as Abraham Lincoln put it nearly a century after the Constitution was signed, must be “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
We’re committed to doing our part to make that happen.
Who is the new First Amendment reporter?
Angele Latham is the USA TODAY Network Tennessee's new First Amendment reporter. She most recently worked at The Jackson Sun as the government and business reporter.
She was editor of the Independent Appeal in Selmer, Tennessee following graduation from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in journalism and visual communication. She is a native of Hickman County.
Michael A. Anastasi is editor and vice president of the USA TODAY Network Tennessee, which includes The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, The Tennessean and The Knoxville News Sentinel. Write to him at manastasi@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: First Amendment beat reporter supports Commercial Appeal's journalism
