WASHINGTON (AP) - First Amendment advocates are preparing to hand out $110,000 in scholarships to students who tweet about their right to free expression.
The "Free to Tweet" contest Thursday is open to students ages 14 to 22. They can enter to win one of 22 scholarships totaling $5,000 each. The student posts on the social networking site Twitter must include the hash tag #FreeToTweet. The competition runs for 24 hours.
Ken Paulson, a founder of the 1 For All campaign and president of the American Society of News Editors says the contest is a way to rekindle appreciation for the First Amendment's freedoms. It also marks the 220th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.
The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is funding the scholarships.