Americans Polled on First Amendment (fwd)

[Heiko Recktenwald <uzs106@ibm.rhrz.uni-bonn.de>]

   AP National

   Americans Polled on First Amendment

   by WILL LESTER
   Associated Press Writer

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans who think the First
   Amendment of the U.S. Constitution goes too far in the rights it
   guarantees has doubled to four in 10 over the past year, says a new
   poll on the amendment that protects freedom of speech.

   More disagreed that the First Amendment goes too far -- 58 percent --
   though that number has dropped from two years ago when two thirds felt
   that way.

   ''There's very little question that as the public loses respect for
   the press it loses respect for the First Amendment,'' said Ken
   Paulson, executive director of the First Amendment Center.
   ''Historically, the press has been viewed as a watchdog. The only
   freedom that Americans singled out as going too far is freedom of the
   press.''

   Paulson said researchers at the University of Connecticut suggested
   the concern about too much freedom is particularly strong among those
   who think there should be a law to prevent news organizations from
   predicting election winners before polls are closed. Four of five
   people said news organizations should not be allowed to project
   winners until polls close.

   On election night Nov. 7, all six Voter News Service members, the
   networks and The Associated Press, initially projected that Al Gore
   had won Florida, a key to winning the presidency.

   The news organizations later said Florida was ''too close to call,''
   but early on Nov. 8, five VNS members declared George W. Bush the
   winner in Florida and nationwide. The AP was the only one of the six
   not to declare Bush the winner on Nov. 8.

   Seven in 10 Americans said it is important for the government to
   ''hold the media in check.''

   ''Americans respect the principles of free speech, but are often
   troubled by their practice,'' Paulson said.

   In other findings, the poll showed that:

   --Six in 10 now say they oppose an amendment making it illegal to burn
   or desecrate the American flag.

   --Six in 10 said limiting the amount of money political parties can
   spend in a campaign does not violate the First Amendment.

   The poll done by the First Amendment Center and paid for by the
   Freedom Forum was taken May 16 through June 6 of 1,012 adults and has
   an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

   AP-NY-06-27-01 1825EDT<

06/27/2001

                     [apple120.gif] Newsday Classifieds
     _________________________________________________________________

                           Visit the Shops of LI
     _________________________________________________________________

                                Yellow Pages