ABSTRACT
When you hear the word speech, you probably think about the type of oral communication you practiced in your public speaking class. But in a First Amendment context, the term speech means much more. Legally, speech is defined as an “oral, written, pictorial, or other expression of an idea or opinion.” Based on that definition, speech can take the form of oral communication, letters to the editor of a newspaper or magazine, posters, videotapes, bumper stickers, yard signs, billboards, documentary films, public parades, political and commercial advertising in the print or broadcast media, and dozens of other forms of communication. Throughout this book and in legal discussions in general, the terms freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and First Amendment freedoms are typically used interchangeably.
