Nashville Tennessean Published 10:39 a.m. CT March 11, 2020

First Amendment and Independence Hall(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The USA TODAY Network in Tennesseejoins news publications across the U.S. in supporting a National Student Essay Competition designed to deepen a recognition of the First Amendment that strengthens freedom of the press and rebuilds trust.

The Tennessean, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, The Knoxville News Sentinel, The Jackson Sun, The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro are inviting young readers to compete in the contest.

There is no more important time than now to focus conversation and critical reflection on understanding the crucial relationships among the First Amendment, a free press, and the foundations of democracy.

Students in grades six through eight, grades nine through twelve, and those at universities and colleges are invited to submit essays up to 500 words examining the state of freedom of the press in the United States today in light of the First Amendment to our Constitution. The specific topic is:Why a free press matters in a democracy." Send essays to USA TODAY Network Tennessee Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at dplazas@gannett.com.

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National Student Essay Competition Director Mary Kay Lazarus said, The competition is designed to engage the important voices of our students, voices that are vital to the future of a robust democracy, and to expand national dialogue about press freedom by encouraging discussion at home and in school.

Students may submit essays from now through Friday April 17. Winners in each category selected by one of the network publicationswill then be submitted to a national jury who will select the semi-finalists and then the finalists by early September 2020. The publications will announcewinners the first week in June.

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The national winner in each category (grades six-eight; grades nine-twelve; and grades university/college) will each receive a $5,000 check from the Boston Globe Foundation. The winning essayist with the highest ranking among the three categories will also receive a full four-year scholarship, currently valued at $38,000 a year, to Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Prizes will be awarded late fall at the 15th Annual McCarthey Family Foundation Lecture Series: In Praise of Independent Journalism.

For more information and entry guidelines, visit https://mklpr.com/national-student-essay-competition.

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Tennessee students: Submit essay on freedom of the press and compete for prize money - Tennessean