Free Expression

Blog Post #3, KEY POST 

Freedom of expression is one of the greatest qualities of American's freedom thanks to the founders of our country, who made it a point to have a foundation based on autonomy in the field of expression and beliefs. The United States has endured a great deal of polarization and has recently faced lots of controversial instances in which having the ability to have your own beliefs is highly important. When building an understanding of the First Amendment it is helpful to look at the eight speech theories that offer the frame work for the concept free expression.  

Out of the eight values of free expression, number eight, "protect dissent" resonates with me the most. Steve Shriffin breaks down this concept in his book "Dissent, Injustice, and the Meanings of America". Protect Dissent highlights the value of  not always being in agreeance with the majority as minority views are just as important. In addition "protect dissent" states it is one's right to disagree with the government as this plays into checks and balances. Having grown up in such heated political climates, such as the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, I have experienced moments in which my opinion has not always aligned with those around me. However, having the opportunity to still hold my opinion regardless of it not coinciding with the majority opinion has allowed me to continue to have my own fair assessment of our government as a United States citizen.

The two values I find to be most relevant today are,"protect dissent" and "promote innovation". "Promote innovation", states that a society that embraces freedom of speech is more likely to be creative and embrace diverse ideas. A current event that these two values pertain too is the Missouri v. Biden case. According to the New Civil Liberties Alliance , during the investigation for this case evidence was found that proves the White House pressured companies to put covid censorship policies into effect. As a result of this, the experts such as doctors and scientists were not able to reach the public with extensive information that paints the full picture. When connecting this current event to the concept of promoting innovation, it is important to take into account how crucial creativity was during this time.  Doctors and scientist should be able to reach each others work and build off of one another's findings, yet this was not the case as there was a limitation on what they could go public with. 

In terms of "protect dissent", people's right to disagree with the government was violated as Rob Flaherty, the White House director of digital media pressured facebook into promoting the censorship. The issue with this was it was conveyed as "view point censorship", in which this is viewed as unlawful. During Covid-19, the nation faced a period of first amendment violation in which values that are conveyed in the 8 speech theories were contradicted. As citizens it is important to be aware of the 8 speech theories as these core principles encourage the concept of freedom of expression.

History of the Supreme Court

    The United States Supreme Court serves as a vital component of our government as they protect and uphold the values of the Constitution. It is important to be aware of the role the Supreme Court serves,  as they hold the power to strike down rulings from the President and Congress. The ability of the Supreme Court to carry out these actions exemplifies their role in the system of checks and balances preventing a branch of government from getting too powerful. 

     As a student, I hold a general understanding of the Supreme Court, however there were various aspects of the inner workings of dynamics between Supreme Court Justice's I had never took into consideration. Often times, each Supreme Court Justice holds varying philosophical views which in return can create varying interpretations of the Constitution. Something I was not aware of until watching the Supreme Court video was the amount of cases that are submitted to them that can be up to 7,000 a week. In addition, I was educated on the manner in which the court goes about considering cases, as there are times they take into considerations one that may being pushed by the public.

    After having watched videos and reading the article I feel the most important takeaway of the Supreme Court is the role they play in defending our freedom, as this is more crucial than ever today. For example, a current case that exemplifies the need for the Supreme Court to uphold our Constitutional rights, in this case the First amendment, is the Murthy v. Missouri case. This case is currently pending in the Supreme Court and has to do with speech being limited and censored on social media in regards to COVID-19. 

    The most surprising thing I learned was the responsibility the Chief Justice holds. Responsibilities I learned the Chief Justice holds include establishing the weekly agenda and overseeing impeach trials against the President of the United States. As a whole, the video caused me to realize the high amount of moving parts that the Supreme Court consists of.

My Top 5 News Sources

Now more than ever, society is engulfed by online media in which there is an overflow of sources and in return opinions. As a result, it is one’s duty to do their part in having a variety of news sources when educating oneself on what is unfolding in the world today. By using more than one media source to become informed, one is able to acquire a variety of perspectives which allows one to form their own opinion. News outlets often take one the role of delivering information in a certain light versus giving

Tik Tok

Within Tik Tok various news outlets have accounts they are active on in which they share video clips of current events taking place. I find myself using Tik Tok to learn about current events when I am in a rush or in between tasks. Tik Tok is a video platform, hence, any news information is portrayed through videos that normally range from 1-3 minutes, making it a very quick way to receive information. In addition to news outlets being present on the app, the public is able to post content as well, giving ordinary citizen's a way to be heard and reach millions. Tik Tok is intersting when acting as a news source as it uses an algorithm to provide your feed with content, allowing new organizations to reach you. 

 Fox News

This outlet is my most commonly visited news platform as the apple news app allows users to flag news outlets in which I have Fox news flagged. As a result of having flagged this platform, I constantly receive news updates and alerts on new stories being released. Fox News is national news organization that covers news about national and international information pertaining to politics, sports, lifestyle, entertainment, and more. An important aspect to note about Fox News is they are known to lean towards the right, and take on Conservative view points when it comes to their take on events. The specific core values Fox news focuses on implementing in their journalism are the, "principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought", as is stated in their biography.

The Daily (podcast)

The Daily is a 20 minute podcast series that airs five days a week at 6am brought to the public by The New York Times. The Daily is hosted by journalists, Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise who share news stories they deem to be the most relevant and note worthy of the day. I personally listen to the daily as a part of my morning routine, as it allows me to multitask while still becoming informed on current matters. An aspect that I appreciat about The Daily is having news be told consistently by those who have been in the field of journalism for so long; therefore allowing current instances to be put into perspective to past occurrences.

                                                                   

The Hustle

The Hustle is a platform one of my former Marketing professors recommended to me about 2 years ago, and it has stuck with me ever since. The Hustle is a news letter that is considered a 5 minute read that discusses news in the field of business and tech. This news platform is much more specific as it is aimed to provide updates to these ever changing fields. As someone who is preparing to graduate, this platform allows me to stay in the loop on ways certain opportunities are being shaped by rapid rising phenomenons such as AI.   

NBC News

NBC News is a national news company who delivers media across the nation about nationwide and international affairs. NBC is commonly known for their objective form of journalism and broadcasting in comparison to other media sources today. NBC news offers a variety of news content as they provide articles, videos, and interviews that allow one the opportunity to select their preferred medium. I often use NBC to balance out my news choices as I want to be mindful of other platforms portraying information through certain lenses.