Supreme Court Takes on Cases Involving Public Officials Blocking Social Media Followers
Ask students: Do you think that Freed was in the right to block Lindke? How has social media changed the way courts might interpret the First Amendment?
Summary
The Supreme Court heard arguments in two key cases about how public officials use social media. The cases explore whether two school board members in California and a city manager in Michigan violated the First Amendment by blocking constituents from posting criticism on their personal social media pages. Geoff Bennett discussed the stakes with NewsHour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.
For a transcript, click here.
Time codes
0:26 — Interview with Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle
1:39 — Interview with James Freed, city manager in Port Huron, Michigan
2:03 — Interview with Kevin Lindke on his opposition with James Freed
News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
Discussion Questions
Warm Up Questions
- Who is James Freed?
- What was James Freed's reasoning for blocking Kevin Lindke?
- When did this take place?
- Why did Lindke think the blocking was unjust?
- Which amendment did Lindke use as reasoning in his response?
Focus Questions
How does social media allow for people to interact who otherwise wouldn't? Do you believe these changes represent a positive or a negative outcome for society?
Media literacy: Who else would you want to hear from who was involved in the case to better understand it?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?
For More
What students can do: Discuss as a class — do you think that Freed was in the right to block Lindke? How has social media changed the way courts might interpret the First Amendment?
As a class, also consider reading the following article on a class action suit against Meta for damaging young people's mental health with social media. Discuss — do you think social media companies should be held liable or responsible for the content on their platforms? Why or why not?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
The Supreme Court: Balancing the Branches Lesson Plans
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