Contemplating Media & the First Amendment
At this point, we’ve heard the major arguments as to why a universal freedom of speech is the silver lining in American culture. It isn’t so much about the ability to say as we please but rather the fear of the snowball effect that the contrary could cause that keeps us so passionate about the... Continue Reading →
Last week, a man from Florida went to jail for cursing out a judge in a letter. His use of language has created a debate over the First Amendment right to free speech. Derrick Jenkins was outraged after a judge dismissed his $500 million case against the local sheriff's station. The lawsuit regards a seatbelt... Continue Reading →
"Governor Charlie Baker says he doesn’t need to ride the T. He’s wrong." Boston Globe 11/23/19 In my wild imagination, the headline “Governor Charlie Baker says he doesn’t need to ride the T” evokes the image of a nobleman being brought in a horse-drawn carriage while the rest of the people under his jurisdiction ride... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of IsraelSource: ABC News Contemporary journalism often fails to lift up the voices and tell the stories of the individuals being impacted by large-scale political or economic situations. This past week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s indictment based on charges of bribery, breach of trust, and fraud received widespread mainstream media coverage.... Continue Reading →
Brace yourselves, this is actually a First Amendment news story that restores a little faith in humanity! According to a New Hampshire newspaper, a former spinal cord specialist and whistleblower at the Manchester VA Medical Center has just been awarded the 17th Annual Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment Award. The award was "established to honor... Continue Reading →
Private institutions have the ability to fire anyone they want for almost any reason. However, public institutions are bound by the First Amendment and the Constitution. With the First Amendment protecting all kinds of speech, this has caused more than a few problems. Most recently, a professor at Indiana University has been under fire for... Continue Reading →
Image credit: Alexis Beauclair As I was reading through various articles about the first amendment in the news, I stumbled upon this publication by the Knight Foundation: High school student views on the First Amendment: Trends in the 21st Century. One of the key findings according to the report is that high school students’ support... Continue Reading →
You know that global warming idea that has been proven by science but the Trump Administration refuses to acknowledge it? Yeah, that one. You got it. Because of climate change, things aren't looking too hot - please not the irony - for endangered species. 99.8% of endangered species are having a hard time adapting to... Continue Reading →
In reviewing the literature on new coverage of environmental crises, one article posed the question on whether journalists should volunteer to help people experiencing natural disasters by doing activities, such as passing out water bottles. Another article mentioned that many journalists who covered 9/11 highlighted American values, such as strength, and showed support for the... Continue Reading →
Rachel Smolkin’s piece on the ethics of covering natural disasters was eye-opening to me. It featured the perspectives of many journalists who, while covering Hurricane Katrina, struggled to balance their morals with codes of journalistic practice. Smolkin describes that a group of students was once asked whether they would interrupt their reporting of a story... Continue Reading →
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