Media of Nebraska Reveals “Think F1rst”, First Amendment Educational Campaign
By Alex Fernando
June 28, 2018, 2:01 a.m. ·
Media of Nebraska has released its plans for an educational initiative teaching the public about the First Amendment and what rights are and are not guaranteed by it.
The “Think F1rst” initiative is designed to educate the public about the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. Recent studies have shown that nearly 40 percent of students struggle to name some if not any of the five rights.
President and executive director of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association, Jim Timm, says this is a very relevant and important issue for our state.
“As journalists who seek to find the truth and keep our citizens aware of what is going on, we just felt this was a very important time to remind people about the First Amendment and everything that comes with it,” Timm said.
The campaign will be run by Media of Nebraska, a partnership between the Nebraska Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the Nebraska Press Association (NPA). This is the first campaign of its kind for the organization.
“This whole campaign is a first for Media of Nebraska. Again, Media of Nebraska’s purpose is really centered around the First Amendment with its broadcast and print organizations working together on FOI (freedom of information),” Timm said.
Executive Director of the Nebraska Press Association, Allen Beermann, says he’s excited about the two organizations joining together to educate the public.
“We are all working together, meaning broadcast, digital and print. In this case, for the education of our citizens or even reeducation about the First Amendment,” Beermann said.
The campaign will run through a variety of platforms including broadcast, print and even digital media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. Both Timm and Beermann said utilizing digital media is a new challenge for Media of Nebraska, but the organization believes it is vital to reach all age groups with this message.
It will have messages from five different Nebraskans, representing each of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. The individuals include a pastor, a farmer, a college student, a healthcare provider and a journalist.
The campaign will run from July 4th through September 30th of this year. For more information, visit https://www.thinkfirstamendment.org/.
Editor’s Note: NET is a member of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association, which works as well with Media of Nebraska.