"Freedom of the Press?" Reading Comprehension

Based on the context of the text, which option best defines Free Press?

• the right to sell newspapers, magazines, etc. to anyone no matter age, gender, or race

• the right to print high school newspapers

• the right of newspapers, magazines, etc., to report news without being controlled by the government

• the right to become a journalist without being discriminated against because of race, gender, ability, or age

Even though the 1st Amendment prevents the government from censoring the press, why can school newspapers censor what is published?

• Private publishers pay to publish school newspapers and therefore have editing rights

• Principals have the right to control what can and can't be published

• Since high school journalists are under 18, they are not protected by the 1st Amendment

• All of the above

Which statement best identifies the argument's central claim?

• High school students can be successful activists

• If governments continue to censor opinions, the public will become less educated

• Whatever is published through private publication should be "fair and balanced"

• Freedom of speech does not apply to high school newspapers

Which statement best identify the argument's counterclaim?

• Censorship in schools is OK as long as students are notified before it happens

• Censorship in schools is OK as long as it occurs for valid educational reasons

• Censorship in schools is OK as long as Principals are the only ones censoring student content

• Censorship in schools may only occur in some states, but not all

Which statement best identifies the argument's conclusion?

• Schools should not limit students' free speech

• Schools may limit students' free speech only sometimes

• Schools may not limit students' free speech if the student is over 15

• Students have no right to sue schools

Why does the article include the story of the students at Hazelwood High School?

• The story is an example used to support the overall claim

• The story should be used to determine theme

• The story is a distraction to confuse readers

After the conflict in paragraph 5, the students, of The Spectrum newspaper, sued their school. The students may best be identified as ___________.

• Activists

• Skeptics

• Scholars

• Journalists

Which statement(s) best identifies the Principal's reason/evidence for removing two pages from the school newspaper, The Spectrum? (Select all that apply)

• The articles were not objective

• The articles threatened certain student's privacy and/or safety

• The articles included too many grammatical errors

• The articles content was too controversial for the audience

What argument(s) did students use to justify their suing the school? (Select all that apply)

• Schools should not be able to censor student opinions

• Schools should not be able to edit student work without warning

• Schools should acknowledge controversial topics

• Schools should allow students to freely criticize their parents and peers

What reason supports the article's central claim? (Select all that apply)

• Freedom of expression is an important part of becoming better educated

• Exposure to differing opinions makes you more prepared for the real-world

• Allowing censorship in some states, but not in others, is biased and unfair

• All types of press (newspapers, magazines, Twitter posts, etc.) should be censored under the 1st Amendment