Free Speech, Social Media Topics Highlight National First Amendment Conference
Prominent experts gathered at Duquesne on Sunday and Monday to discuss the past, present and future of the First Amendment and issues surrounding its freedoms.
The National Conference on the First Amendment: Bedrock of American Freedom touched on a variety of topics, including the impact of social media and new technology, the emergence of fake news, the potential conflict between a free press and national security, and free speech issues on college campuses.
“The First Amendment truly is the bedrock of all other freedoms under our constitution,” President Ken Gormley said during his opening remarks to the packed house inside the Power Center’s Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom. “It’s what has made and continues to make America the greatest nation in the world.”
Moderators and speakers comprised nationally prominent leaders, including:
- Martin Baron, executive editor of the Washington Post
- Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times
- Noel Francisco, U.S. solicitor general
- Tom Ridge, former U.S. secretary of homeland security and former Pennsylvania governor
- General Mike Hayden, former CIA and NSA director
- First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, author of the book The Soul of the First Amendment
- Television commentators Juan Williams and Hugh Hewitt.
The conference continues Gormley’s civil discourse series, which began in 2016. All of the conference sessions can be viewed online.
