How Journalists Think About the First Amendment Vis-à-Vis Their Coverage of Hate Groups

Authors

  • Gregory Perreault Appalachian State University
  • Jonathan Peters University of Georgia
  • Brett Johnson University of Missouri
  • Leslie Klein University of Georgia

Keywords:

First Amendment, hate groups, hate speech, media ecology, journalism ecology, and role enactment

Abstract

This study, based on in-depth interviews with U.S.-based journalists (n = 18), explores the increasingly fraught circumstances of reporting on hate groups. We examine how journalists think about the First Amendment vis-à-vis their coverage of such groups. Through the lens of media ecology and First Amendment principles and theories, we argue ultimately that journalists who cover hate groups use the First Amendment to identify their place in the journalistic environment.

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Published

2021-09-10

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles