“Think F1rst” campaign to educate Nebraskans on First Amendment freedoms

In August of last year, a civics survey showed nearly four in 10 students couldn’t name even one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. 

The results of this survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center and other unsettling indications that many citizens are unaware of the value of the First Amendment, has led to the public awareness campaign “Think F1rst” by Media of Nebraska. It was unveiled at the Nebraska State Capitol on Thursday, June 28. 

Think F1rst will run through Sept 30., and help educate Nebraskans about the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. These freedoms include Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom to Peacefully Assemble and Freedom to Petition.

“In the past few years, polls began to show that Americans lacked even a basic knowledge of the First Amendment, particularly in articulating the five freedoms that it guarantees. Not the interpretation of, but the actual knowledge of freedoms that Americans exercise nearly every day,” said Craig Eckert, who represents his company, Platte River Radio in Hastings and Kearney, as a Media of Nebraska Board member.

Eckert said the First Amendment is arguably the only Amendment in the Bill of Rights that Americans use every day.

Think F1rst will be supported by newspapers and statewide radio and television stations, as well as the websites and social media platforms of these entities. 

Its components for television and print feature five Nebraskans, each highlighting one of the five freedoms. Those five Nebraskans represent a diverse cross-section of the state and include a farmer, a college student, a health care professional, a journalist and a pastor. 

To specifically reach younger Nebraskans, the campaign will use statewide social media, including Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. Online postings will present facts on the First Amendment and encourage sharing those facts. These messages will be presented by Nebraskans aged 17-24. 

All campaign components will encourage Nebraskans to learn more about the First Amendment by visiting the website ThinkFirstAmendment.org. 

The foundations of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Nebraska Press Association, which are members of Media of Nebraska, mutually agreed to fund the multimedia creative elements of the campaign, which were created by Clark Creative Group of Omaha. Clark Creative Group made a significant donation of time and services as part of their commitment to the project.