Date 2/28/03

Contact: FOIFT office, (214) 977-6658

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The First Amendment Institute to hold meeting in San Antonio

The First Amendment Institute, an annual program of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, begins its 2003 series March 7-8 in San Antonio.

The San Antonio Express-News is providing the space for the group to meet in addition to underwriting meal costs. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is also sponsoring lunch for the participants.

The goal of The FAI is to provide a select group of individuals a year of in-depth, graduate-level study of the importance and applications of our First Amendment, its relationship to freedom of information and its implications for our democracy.

First in the series will be a study of the freedom of speech. The session will focus on establishing theoretical justifications for free speech and introduce the jurisprudential foundations of First Amendment cases involving free expression. The program is designed to introduce the timeless concepts that give free speech its robust constitutional protection while bringing the questions of today, and even tomorrow, into focus.

Session instructors are Dr. Charles N. Davis, executive director, Freedom of Information Center and assistant professor, News-Editorial School of Journalism, University of Missouri; and Dr. Paul H. Gates, Jr., associate professor, Appalachian State University.

The opportunity to participate in this yearlong study of the First Amendment is open to all. If you are interested in applying for the 2004 class, or sponsoring a member of your staff or organization, please contact the FOIFT offices at 214-977-6658, via e-mail at foift@airmail.net or visit our Web site at www.foift.org.

The FOIFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported through grants and tax deductible donations from private citizens, corporations and foundations.