College Students Want Free Speech — Sort Of

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Though most college students say they value freedom of expression, a new Gallup poll shows they are more committed to free speech in the abstract than in reality.

Fifty-six percent of college students say protecting free-speech rights is extremely important to society, according to the poll of 3,014 college students that was conducted in the fall of 2017. They also say they overwhelmingly favor an open learning environment that allows all types of speech on campus over one that imposes limits on words that might be considered offensive.

But respondents’ commitment to open debate was inconsistent: Nearly half of students say they favor campus speech codes; nearly two-thirds do not believe the U.S. Constitution should protect hate speech; 73 percent support campus policies that restrict hate speech like racial slurs; and 60 percent say the same about those that discourage stereotypical costumes.

The survey, sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, reveals an inner tension surrounding college students’ values when it comes to the First Amendment, said Sam Gill, an executive at the foundation. Students desire both free expression and the promotion of a diverse society.

Their opinions on free speech are changing rapidly. Support for campuses that allow all types of free speech, over those that limit offensive speech, dropped from 78 percent to 70 percent since the survey was conducted in 2016.

Concerns About Press Freedom

The new survey also showed a sharp drop in the share of students who feel that freedom of the press is secure, falling from 81 percent to 60 percent. Increasing levels of partisanship since the 2016 election are one reason for some of these shifts. This survey marks one of the first studies to get good national data on how college students identify themselves politically since President Trump’s election, said Brandon Busteed, an executive director at Gallup, and many of their changing opinions about free speech reflect increasing political polarization. For example, 48 percent of Democrats — down from 83 percent in 2016 — feel that freedom of the press is secure, compared with 79 percent of Republicans.

The survey found that 66 percent of college students are Democrats or Democratic-leaning, and Gill said many of the changes in opinion observed from 2016 to 2017 are a result of these Democratic students’ opinions shifting. “Democrats really see the media as a check on Trump,” Gill said, “and with the way he has presented himself in the media, Republicans are more likely to feel the press is ganging up on Trump.”

Only 32 percent of students say they are certain that their campus has a safe space or free-speech zone — though many students reported that they support these areas.

Busteed said colleges and universities could be doing a better job of communicating about free speech on campus. “There is an opportunity to be much more intentional. If they are going to encourage this dialogue in a more productive way, they need to ensure it is being conveyed to the community.”