Stephen Bates to Deliver 2020 State of the First Amendment Address

Stephen Bates
Stephen Bates will deliver the 2020 State of the First Amendment Address.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2020) — Stephen Bates, a First Amendment and media law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of "An Aristocracy of Critics: Luce, Hutchins, Neibuhr, and the Committee That Redefined Freedom of the Press," will deliver the 2020 State of the First Amendment Address Nov. 12. The title of the address is “The Press of Democracy.”

University of Kentucky's Scripps Howard First Amendment Center, within the School of Journalism and Media in the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information is the sponsor of the address, delivered annually in celebration of First Amendment rights.

This year’s address comes on the heels of an election where some say democracy and the role of the news media were also on the ballot, in addition to the political candidates and amendments.

The address is free to attend and will be delivered live via Zoom from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. For more information and the Zoom link visit http://ci.uky.edu/jam/state-first-amendment-address.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.