The First Amendment states, “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment

of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances. The amendment was adopted in the year of 1971on December 15th. along
with nine other amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment is a three-
part clause, that guarantees not only press freedom, but the freedom of speech, as well as the
right to assemble and to “petition the government for a redress of grievances”. This is also
known as prior restraint which implies a suppression of material that would be published and or
broadcasted. In which, the government is extremely limited to doing. In simpler terms, the First
Amendment is a document that guarantees several basic freedoms in the United States including
freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to an assembly and right
to petition.

The First Amendment allows me to be the creator that I am today and will become in the
future. All I have is my word, that is how I express myself. Being a young journalist, freedom of
speech and freedom of press is all I have. I use the First Amendment daily, because as a student
journalist I am constantly using social media, curating stories and articles and producing visuals,
such as photographs, videos and graphic designs.

During my tenure at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University State
University, I have worked on several assignments and projects that showcase the use of the First
Amendment. I have curated content for my micro-blog, everyday aggies. Including flyers, video,
photographs and social media posts. With communication research, I have conducted and
analyzed data that I collected for various of surveys. For example, Also, producing several
published articles and flyers via Her Campus NCAT and Student Government Association for
the university, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

In the field of journalism and mass communication, the First Amendment is what will help me
thrive within the field. This is the grounding behind all my work that I will ever curate and
produce. Being a mass media production concentration, having the freedom to speak on what I
want and release it through press is what will determine how successful I will be. It is the only
way that I will be able to make a living and an impact on the world. With the First Amendment,
it guarantees a free press, which can be anticipate to include all news media including but not
limited to television, radio, the web and much more. Under the First Amendment, the
government does not have the right to try to control or block certain things from being released
and published by the press. As a journalist, I need the ability and right to produce content and
release information on what highlights my talents as a creative curator. Journalist like myself, the
ones before me and the one’s that will come after me, would never be able to be successful
without the First Amendment.

Being involved in the Chapter of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University for
Her Campus Media as an intern and a student led micro-blog titled EverydayAggies as a co-
president are all organizations that allow me to use my First Amendment rights freely. With the
help of these organizations, I have learned how to properly use my talents and express myself
freely while also valuing my rights and how to properly execute being a great journalist and
social media analyst.