Contemplating Media & the First Amendment
We’re getting to the point in the Trump Presidency where if you went around and asked a group of people to name one blatantly incorrect thing Trump has said, everyone would be able to come up with a different answer. The most recent of which, is, of course, the claim that they are building the... Continue Reading →
Oct. 21, 2019 in Santiago, Chile. If you’ve been keeping up with international news, you’ve probably heard about the protests happening in the Chilean capital of Santiago right now. I first heard about these protests from a fellow student I had met while studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina this summer. She’s currently in Santiago, and... Continue Reading →
We all know Trump pulled our troops out of Syria and we know that it was arguably the stupidest and most random thing he could've done. Maybe not so random, though, since President Trump decided to do it on Putin's birthday - basically as a birthday gift for him since Russia stepped in to take... Continue Reading →
I don't remember a time growing up where my dad didn't have the local news running on at least one of the TVs in the house. But something I noticed but didn't really actively pay attention to was the fact that it ran all day. I knew there were a lot of people in the... Continue Reading →
The First Amendment gives Americans the right to practice whatever religion they so choose. And not only that, but also cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion. So tell me why Beto O'Rourke, Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential election, said yes when he was asked if he would revoke the tax-exempt status of religious... Continue Reading →
Increasingly a breed of news reporting, that started as an easy way to include public opinion, is deciding what is news itself. This is, of course, the tweet-littered article with little original reporting to be seen. In my experience, journalists who use this tactic seem to have an uncanny ability to somehow filter their search... Continue Reading →
Contemporary climate activism is extremely white. The UN Climate Summit and National Climate Strike happened last week, so there has been a lot of talk about climate change in the news and on social media. I have seen a lot of articles and posts praising Greta Thunberg for her activism. I find Greta Thunberg to... Continue Reading →
NPR News’ recent report of activism in Houston dissects the fine line between peaceful protest and public disturbance. Greenpeace protesters, tied to ropes and carrying streamers, rappelled off of Houston’s Fred Hartman Bridge, blocking a ship channel through which oil from Shell and Exxon Mobil is imported and exported. More oil is exported through Houston... Continue Reading →
In the study of constitutionally protected speech, there is much discussion on whether speech that incites violence, hate crimes, or intentional falsehoods should be protected. There is however, another category in which speech can and has been regulated that has nothing to do with its content or potential for violence. Sometimes, the overexercise of speech... Continue Reading →
Does the First Amendment protect your right to lie? Is it still protected speech if it is false speech? The short answer is yes and no. Yes, false statements are protected as a form of speech, but no, it isn't in all cases. As Brandon May explains in a recent article, "The Supreme Court states... Continue Reading →
Free Press Free Speech 