Eight Values of Free Expression

America is the freest nation in the world today due to our inalienable rights, listed in the First Amendment.  Though we utilize these rights each day, we are often not aware of the freedoms we are using and how lucky we are to have those rights which are established and protected in the first amendment. We have the constitutional right to speak freely (with certain limitations such as defamation and threats to the president, in which legal action will be taken), practice any religion we choose without punishment or having to follow government-mandated religions, along the freedoms of press, petition, and assembly, which are all very important in making governmental changes, speaking up for the common person, and communicating with authorities and the government. 

Speech Theories

When reflecting on the Eight Values of Free Expression, I find that a couple particularly resonate with me based on current events, my personal beliefs, and my values. Check on Governmental Power (The Watchdog Rule) is the first theory that piqued my interest. As an English major with a minor in social media marketing, I love to read. I also love investigating the newest news story, pop culture event, or campus happenings. I think that the Watchdog Rule is extremely important - not only to journalists, marketers, or those in the general field, but to all citizens alike. We are apart of the system of checks and balances ourselves, even though we may feel far removed from the seemingly untouchable acts of Congress. The government answers to the people (or at least, it's supposed to), so we as citizens should always utilize our right to be heard and make changes when we see fit. This means that, sometimes, exposing the wrongdoing of a government official via the press (without threatening) is an excellent way to advocate for yourself and fellow Americans, while also utilizing a fundamental right. An example of watchdog journalism which corresponds with this speech throey would be the #MeToo movement, created by journalist Ronan Farrow, which exposed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's extensive history of gaslighting, sexual abuse, and assault. 

The second theory that I found to be extremely important is Promoting Tolerance. In our extremely divided society, I feel as if this theory holds immense value to society. Tolerance is not necessarily agreeing with everyone and their beliefs, but it is having respect for others' opinions, as well as their mindsets and value as fellow American citizens. A tolerant society is a better society, which functions more efficiently, as well as creates a plethora of learning lessons for ourselves and future generations. This theory resonates with me specifically, due to certain events regarding racial, political, and religious discrimination. I feel as if rather than becoming a divided nation, we need to become tolerant in order to present ourselves as a united front. 

After reading and reflecting on these Speech Theories and Values of Free Expression, I not only have a better understanding of both the function and uses of the First Amendment, but have been able to apply these commonly used theories to situations in my life and in our country today. I think that educating, investigating, and advocating for yourself is extremely important within our society, and one can never be "too educated" or "too tolerant" - not even politicians, presidents, or journalists. 

The Founding Era

SCOTUS: From Founding to Today

After taking AP Government in high school, learning about the Supreme Court is till very interesting to me. From learning about the different justices to the structure of court hearings, I think that the Supreme Court has been one of the best governmental establishments since the U.S.'s founding days. 

What did you not know about SCOTUS?

I did not know that they receive more than a hundred new cases every week. That shocked me, because the more public, well known cases are the ones usually referenced and talked about, and there are way fewer of those monumental cases for the country. I would not have guessed that over a hundred cases get submitted to the Court per week. I also didn't know that most of these hundred cases are petitions sent in to the Court, arguing that the ruling received from a lower court was incorrect. 

Most Important Takeaway:

I think that one of the most important takeaways from these videos and articles would be that without the Supreme Court following their constitutional purpose, which would include making decisions that abide by the constitution and establishing a common sense of trust with American citizens, is what keeps America one of the most free countries in the world. The unspoken contract of obedience to SCOTUS by the people ensures safety, security, and privacy-which, when violated, leads to chaos and uncertainty. T believe that SCOTUS is what keeps us free, and without an ethical, fair court, America will have many problems. 

Any Surprises?

I think a surprising fact that I have learned about SCOTUS would be that the public's view of SCOTUS has turned more negatively over the years. Whether this be because of decisions made, the justices' personal views, or just pure distaste for the Court in general, I feel as if this contradicts with my takeaway, emphasizing the fact that without mutual trust, things will fall apart. 

I think that this video opened my eyes to how much the justices dedicate their lives and opinions to the Supreme Court and their duties. They have to compromise their personal opinions at times for the good of the common person, and for the good of the case's outcome. I think that the Justices have an extremely important job to do that is not always one hundred percent appreciated by the general American public. 

Privacy & Technology

“Internet and privacy are antithesis of each other.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Mucize Insan: When The World is Family

        Within our extremely technologically-savvy society, the benefits of having up-to-date technology are at an all time high. There are opportunities for better communication, more efficient ways to work, etc.  However, with constantly having technology all around us, there are countless, often serious, violations of personal privacy that can often slip under our noses. 

These issues of privacy have affected my and my family personally in the contexts of identity theft - whether it be via social media hacking, credit card fraud, or scam callers who pretend to be family members, our technological privacy has been seriously violated probably hundreds of times. 

The other week, my grandparents received a call from their "grandson," saying he was in jail and needed $8800 to be bailed out. My grandfather immediately wanted to send my grandmother to the bank, and when asked how to get him the money, the caller, pretending to be my brother, who was supposedly in jail, said "I'll come get it from your house." That's when my grandfather finally realized that it was a scam. New AI technology is making scam calls extremely believable due to voice recognition and generation. This is extremely scary. 

What should the government be doing? 

I believe that the government should regulate the use of data mining via proposing new laws and/or negotiating the company's bylaws and contracts that they hide from users. They should be transparent about the collection of citizen data, which includes healthcare data and stats, license plate data, and other things which they gather from us that a lot of citizens do not know about. 

What can WE do?

Some solutions to protect our personal privacy from technology would include: turning our smartphones completely off, not just on sleep mode, when we are not actively using them, as well as not answering numbers not in our contacts, NO CALLER ID numbers, or those who look like spam, not sharing social media passwords, disabling location sharing on social media as well as our devices, and many more. Though a lot of us (myself included) do not think about doing these things, they will directly benefit our personal privacy. 

 My Top Five News Sources

Within today's extremely interconnected society, news is everywhere - and can travel like wildfire. It is equally important for consumers to inform themselves on multiple news and networking platforms to ensure non-biased and truthful news. With the platforms that I interact with, I try to investigate the sources, think for myself, and evaluate the news or story by discussing it with others. In college, I have found it much harder to sit down and watch the news. I find myself leaning towards social media sites and news websites for daily and national headlines. Here are my top five most used news sources. 

.     .      

1.  Instagram: 

               

                While using Instagram for my personal use, I often find myself scrolling upon and searching for different news accounts, as well as accounts which serve as PSA's and petitions. I love to look at accounts such as @impact and @environment, which depict environmental crises and the stories which involve them, as well as celebrity news accounts like @enews and @popculture. Since Instagram posts are owned media, they cannot be regulated, which makes deciphering the legitimacy of a source difficult. Though some posts may hold a particular bias, I tend to be more interested and listen to a news story if it is presented as an infographic or short video reel. 

      2. TikTok

                  

                 Though TikTok is most known for funny videos, dances, etc., I find a good amount of credible news through the popular platform. I am able to scroll through current pop culture events and their results, such as the Grammy Awards or the Oscars. Some of my favorite Instagram news accounts have TikTok accounts as well, such as @impact and @enews. I follow @espn for sports news and statistics, @foxnews and @abcnews for nightly news topics, and @viceworldnews for global topics and stories. Some other topics that I follow on TikTok detail true crime cases being solved, philanthropy accounts, and internship/job accounts. I tend to mindlessly scroll on social medias like TikTok, where the seemingly endless amount of reels are at my fingertips. However, I like to watch these news videos through TikTok due to their presentation, content, and engaging atmosphere. 

        3. Apple News

                

                    While scrolling on my phone, I will sometimes receive notifications from Apple News, which is built in on all Apple devices. I find this app the one I turn to most, due to its convenience and accessible interface. I like this app because it takes headlining stories from other news platforms, like FOX and The Huffington Post, and places them all into one space - I feel as if this is great for reducing bias, as all different sides of the political spectrum are together on one page. I find the stories which Apple produces to be mostly centered around pop culture, which I believe is a smart move for the neutrality of Apple's company. 

        4. Google

                    Often, I will hear about a current event, and Google search it to find out more information and "investigate" about the topic myself.  There are a few issues with finding credible sources on Google - some of them being sponsored advertisements by different news stations and agencies, as well as Wikipedia and sites that can be edited by anyone, and are not monitored for accuracy. Though it may be harder to find 100% accurate information on search engines such as Google, they are extremely convenient if you know where to click. 

        5. Word Of Mouth

                    Lastly, I hear a lot of news via conversations with friends and family. When a national news event occurs, my mom may call me, or my friend may mention it in class. I think that having genuine conversations about current events is a great way to educate yourself and others who may. not thin the same way that you do. Reducing biases when conversing with others about sensitive news topics - or even topics that may not be sensitive to you personally - is a great way to "put yourself in their shoes" and take a more neutral approach to news.