In this talk before the Ethical Humanist Society, Task Force member Edith Updike looked at the sociopolitical origins and philosophical underpinnings of the First Amendment, as well as the core principles of American journalism and its role in democracy as refined through Supreme Court rulings. She reviewed several key legal cases, set in the culture and events of their time, that have helped to shape our ideas about freedom of speech.

Edith Updike is a longtime journalist and educator with an undergraduate degree in philosophy, a master’s degree in journalism and a passion for the free flow of information. Currently managing editor at Global Finance magazine, she has worked in journalism internationally and locally, and taught at Columbia University and St. John’s College. She often serves as a guest expert in the media and at conferences.