Freedom of Speech and Propaganda at School

Free speech is a pivotal human right that allows for a democratic society to strive and develop. It is particularly important for an educational setting where the youth are taught the principles of executing the right of freedom of speech. However, it is contradictory as per how far this freedom should reach, implying the violation of other principles and human rights issues, such as dignity and self-expression. The promotion of the right to speak freely might be confused for the encouragement of going to such extremes as hate speech, propaganda, and discrimination. Indeed, since freedom of speech is inherently connected with propaganda as its ultimate manifestation, it is important to ensure the balance between the provision of the right to free speech while regulating the propaganda. To avoid the adverse outcomes of uncontrolled expression of opinions that might produce hate in the school environment, it is essential to develop a set of rules. The paper proposes the solution to the identified issue by implementing a special policy for students’ and teachers’ compliance. The promotion of the policy should be manifested through workshops, lectures, and discussions that would raise awareness about hate speech and propaganda as negative attributes related to free speech. The goal of such efforts is to advance rules and legal regulations of free speech that minimize the opportunity for propaganda to ensure that schools are safe learning environments.

Annotated Bibliography

Fenwick, Helen, and Daniel Fenwick. “Prevent, Free Speech, ‘Extremism’ and Counter-Terror Interventions: Exploring Narratives about Chilling Expression in Schools.” Public Law, 2020, pp. 661-679.

The authors of this scholarly article from an academic journal refer to the issues of preventing extremism as a showcasing issue for promoting free speech while regulating its manifestations. The authors argue for a practical solution that is based on the promotion of basic democratic values, as well as mutual respect, tolerance, and non-violence. Since this article is devoted to the research of applying the principles of free speech regulation in schools, it provides solution-based evidence for the proposed research paper. This source will be used as a guiding material for validating a preventative strategy in policy implementation for schools.

Howard, Jeffrey W. “Free Speech and Hate Speech.” Annual Review of Political Science vol. 22, 2019, pp. 93-109.

This academic research article presents theoretical support for the use of normative principles to regulate freedom of speech while developing a scholarly clarification of the roles of the supervisors of the free speech rules. Indeed, the author of the article claims that it is essential to ensure that the normative theory is used for the rules regulating free speech with the priority set on moral principles and interdisciplinary cooperation. The theoretical focus of the article makes it an invaluable source of information for the research paper since it will allow for justifying the necessity of rule application to regulate the freedom of speech in schools. The claim about the interdisciplinary work on the regulations will be further elaborated in the paper to provide a basis for the practical implementation of the proposed solution.

Hutchens, Neal H., and Frank Fernandez. “Searching for Balance with Student Free Speech: Campus Speech Zones, Institutional Authority, and Legislative Prerogatives.” Belmont Law Review, vol. 5, 2018, pp. 103-128.

The authors of this article adhere to a legal perspective when discussing the problem of achieving a balance between freedom of speech and the manifestations of propaganda in general and white supremacy and racism in particular. The source demonstrates that it is imperative to integrate legal considerations when validating the regulatory rules so that the rights of individuals are properly balanced. Since this source is focused on the educational setting, it is appropriate for the proposed research paper in terms of suggesting legal concerns that should be considered when developing a policy. Moreover, its evidence will be used as examples for showcasing the negative implications of unregulated free speech in schools.

Leiser, M. R. “Regulating Computational Propaganda: Lessons from International Law.” Cambridge International Law Journal, vol. 8, no. 2, 2019, pp. 218-240.

This academic source presents a law-based argument on the importance of regulating propaganda that stems from freedom of speech. The author argues that the historical evidence of international law application to the cases of propaganda regulation lacks the clarification of the main actors’ responsibilities and duties. For that matter, this source will be used as a basis for validation of the role distribution among the stakeholders behind the schools free speech policy implementation. The implications of interrelation law will serve as a reliable background for claiming the connection between the school settings and a global society where tolerance is essential.

Magarian, Gregory P. “When Audiences Object: Free Speech and Campus Speaker Protests.” University of Colorado Law Review, vol. 90, 2019, pp. 551-592.

The author of this law-related academic article promotes a holistic approach to the analysis of freedom of speech in educational settings through the lens of a case of campus protesters’ speeches. The article presents an opinion that the regulations of student speech should be minimal not to hinder their opportunities to learn, which is a pivotal characteristic of schools and universities. Since this article takes a legal stance that promotes the support of free speech as an educational opportunity for students, it will be used as a piece of evidence for a counterargument. The focus on legal aspects of the issue will be helpful in clarifying the law-based regulation of free speech as a solution discussed in the research paper.

Maxwell, Bruce, et al. “Teachers’ Freedom of Speech in the Classroom.” Encyclopedia of Teacher Education, edited by edited by Michael A. Peters, Springer, 2019, pp. 1-6.

This article from an encyclopedia claims that the issues related to the balance of rights to free speech should be equally exerted on students and teachers. The authors of this source illustrate how teachers can handle controversial issues in the classroom professionally. The practical perspective prioritized in the article makes it an invaluable source of information for the support of the policy development solution addressed in the proposed paper. Thus, it will be used to validate the importance of teachers’ and students’ compliance with free speech regulations.