Hello! Guess who's back! That's right, your friendly neighborhood Liberal activist. Today's topic? The first amendment. Freedom of speech, expression, the press, etc. And boy, this just might be a doozy, for people on both sides.
So, I think the best place to start with this one is discussing exactly what IS meant by "freedom of expression". I'm sure you've heard both sides say all kinds of things that sound extremely hypocritical, but neither side ever willing to admit that anything they're saying is wrong. So, I have here a couple of statements taken from the SCORE (Schools of California Online Resources for Education) website, which I have found to be very useful to clear up a few things about this topic:
"Freedom of Speech does NOT mean that a person can say whatever they want to say. Freedom of Speech means that someone's right to say something is protected within certain limits. A person may have to suffer consequences for saying some things, but they still have the right to say them. For example, it is against the law to yell, "FIRE," in a crowded place because someone may get injured. A person has the right to say it, but they also have the consequences. Freedom of Speech includes non-speech also. What someone wears and how they behave is considered "freedom of expression" and is a protected right. The Supreme Court has even said that burning the American Flag is protected speech because it expresses an opinion."
So, what does this mean when put into today's context? Different people seem to have different ideas of how far is "too far" before freedom of speech turns into hate speech. Unfortunately, this line has become a much larger grey area over the past couple years, as hatred has become a seemingly normal part of life. Hatred for the opposing political viewpoint. Hatred for the POTUS. Hatred for anybody who sees or says anything differently.
But anyway, I digress. I would like to discuss how all of this is relevant to the media, and how today's "New Media" (television, internet, etc) have altered the way the public learns about the news. And what better way to start the discussion of modern news media forms than to bring up "fake news"? Yep, this liberal is about to delve into what's going on with the famous meme, which was started by Trump. Get ready...I told you it was gonna be a doozy!
"Fake News" is running rampant on both sides of the isle. There, I said it. Democrats and Republicans may now line up together to crucify me. But seriously, when you hear the word "news", what do you think? Chances are, the list looks something like this: FOX, CNN, MSNBC, etc. Following those, just insert your favorites. Well, that list highlights the biggest issue we have in this country. A majority of those major broadcasting corporations lean either left or right, and they tend to sell the news that's going to make them the most money. Unfortunately, when we turn on the TV or radio, that's what we get: biased news, designed to make the broadcasters money.
I am guilty of favoritism in news outlets. I can openly admit that, because I believe that we all are, at least to a certain extent. My go-to is NPR (National Public Radio). They are better than some (MSNBC, FOX), but the fact is, they are still skewed just a little bit to the left. There is a great chart, to which I was only just introduced, which shows all sorts of news networks, and where they lie based both on left vs right, and on fact-based vs innacurate/fabricated content (link will be included at the end of this article). As it turns out, if you are looking for non-biased, fact-based news, the top two are AP (Associated Press), and Reuters. Technically, outside of those and a few other close ones, most of what we see and hear could be considered "Fake News".
Which leads me to my last topic of the evening: Are Newspapers dead, or at least dying? Why, and what can we do to save them?
The internet is an amazing thing, and has opened doors previously unimaginable. But, it also seems to be closing a few. One such door is newspapers. Many people, for a long time, have waited for the newspaper to read what's happening in the world. Well, with the internet literally at our fingertips, we no longer need to wait. It seems like it takes only minutes for the world to know what is happening. This creates all kinds of potential, but is really a double-edged sword. Newspapers were, and the ones that are still in print continue to be, well-researched, and strongly fact-based. Sure, you may have to wait a couple days to read about something, but by the time it reaches you, it has been thoroughly vetted, edited, fact-checked, and finally approved. Unfortunately, many people don't want to wait for that, when the information is available immediately. This means that the number of newspapers being sold is decreasing, and the number of articles available online, which have no guarantee of being fact-checked or non-biased is increasing.
This shift in media, I strongly believe, is a huge factor in the current political polarization. Leftists look at leftist news, Right-wingers look at right-wing news. Both of them fabricate stories, typically only based on partial truths taken out of context. Due to the ease of access, a lot of times, we don't even look further than what we have bookmarked. And, as a result, we find ourselves plowing farther and farther away from the other side of the isle until we reach the current left vs right dilemma. So, I guess my closing statement would be this: instead of turning on Fox, or MSNBC, or whatever your favorite convenient news is, go to AP news. Go to Reuters. Bookmark their pages, and actually read their articles. They are non-biased, and fact-based. Right in the middle, so nobody can argue which "agenda" they support. And while you're at it, go ahead and pick up a subscription to your local newspaper. Local government is just as important as state/national government, and is often overlooked by the general public. You're going to have a hard time finding that stuff on the internet, and I can also guarantee that your local paper is struggling due to the internet.
References:
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/bill_of_rights/media/press.htm
Ok, that's all, folks! If you made it to the end of this, leave a comment letting me know what you think. Please keep it respectful, but honest. I love feedback.