Post #3: Protecting Dissent in the Digital Age

 Throughout the last several weeks, we have discussed why the First Amendment and the freedoms it provides are essential to democracy. The 8 Values of Free Expression aim to summarize why the freedoms offered in the First Amendment are so important to society. Personally, I believe that the promotion of innovation is one of the most important functions of free expression. After all, innovation is key to the advancement of society, be those technological, social, or political advancements. However, protection of dissent may be the most relevant values of free expression in our current climate. 

In particular, online censorship has become a widely debated topic in recent years. As explained in this article by Columbia University, social media and other technological developments have created an interesting dichotomy when it comes to free expression. On one hand, they make it significantly easier to spread messages quickly and to a large audience. That said, it is not yet clear what boundaries the government has when it comes to social media messaging. In China, for instance the government applies rampant censorship, ranging from banning social media sites to jailing those who openly criticize them. Even with these tight restrictions, pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong have not only used social media to express disagreement with the Chinese government, but they have also used these platforms to help organize in-person protests. 

Pro-Democracy Protests in Hong Kong

Meanwhile, in the U.S., a debate is heating up regarding what constitutes as government use of social media. For instance, is a government official's social media account subject to censorship rules? Is it legal for a government official to block certain people from engaging on their social media pages? In several recent cases brought to court, the answer to these questions seems to depend on how the account is used. If an account is used for official government business, such as communicating appointments or public meetings, it is subject to First Amendment protections against censorship. As more people turn to social media for political campaigns and official communication, I believe we will start to see a more strict set of guidelines regarding how such accounts may be used. 

Ultimately, in the Digital Age, the values of free expression are undergoing a shift. As both governments and society as a whole adjust to this new medium, we are seeing a number of new debates arise regarding free speech. While there are generally clear limits dictating what the government can and can't do, we are beginning to see a questioning of the rights of private corporations when it comes to free speech and censorship. Some question the degree to which social media platforms should be allowed to dictate what can and cannot be on their sites. Others question how oppressive governments may exploit the internet for their own benefit and what, if any, responsibility private corporations hold in combatting such actions. As the law begins to catch up with technology, I will be interested to see how these questions will be answered by the courts. I suspect that we see begin to see many governments struggling to find solutions to the issues brought on by the internet as they try to balance public interest with the most fundamental right to freedom of expression. 

Post #2: History of SCOTUS

The U.S. Supreme Court has an interesting history and a unique set of powers that make it unlike any other high court in the world. Most notably, in 1803, the court granted itself the power of judicial review in the case Marbury v. Madison, effectively making it the most powerful Supreme Court in the world. Unlike lower appellate courts in the U.S., the Supreme Court is not required to take on cases, so they only choose about 80 to 100 of the thousands of cases they are presented each year to review. Many people have the misconception that the court can simply choose which issues it would like to tackle, but it is important to correct this notion. In reality, the court can only choose to debate the issues brought before it, which will often reflect "hot topics" of the time. Moreover, in most cases, the Supreme Court is not responsible for deciding the facts of a case. Rather, their job is to review the decisions made by lower courts and decide whether or not the ruling was correct. This responsibility of the court is called certiorari. 

One interesting fact I learned from the video we watched in class was that the Supreme Court spends very little time actually hearing a case. In fact, oral arguments only last for 30 minutes, during which time all nine justices of the court may ask questions of the lawyer representing the case to better understand the argument at hand. Then, when it comes time to discuss the case, the justices convene together alone, without even secretaries or clerks being present. Lastly, I learned that it can take four weeks or more for the court to produce an opinion due to a lengthy process of writing and revision until the majority of the justices reach a consensus on the opinion. Ultimately, while the Supreme Court is often portrayed as a growingly politicized body that attempts to "legislate from the bench", it is important to understand that Justices follow a strict set of rules which allows them only to judge what is presented before them based on their interpretations of the Constitution. 

Post #1: My Top 5 Sources for News & Information

1. ABC News

Ever since I was a child, my top source for news has always been ABC News. Given that this is the channel my parents would always turn to for their news, I suppose I developed a liking for the way they present stories. According to this chart by Market Watch, ABC News meets a high journalistic standard and tends to contain minimal partisan bias. As someone who tries to develop informed opinions based in factual evidence, I appreciate ABC's commitment to unbiased reporting. Beyond their journalistic integrity, however, I also enjoy the variety of information I can find through their network. Between the television network and their online presence, I can turn to ABC for anything from local and world news to entertainment and celebrity updates. 

2. Vox

Another source I often turn to for news is Vox. I particularly enjoy the content released on their YouTube channel, as I feel it does an excellent job of breaking down complex topics into terms that someone with minimal background knowledge can understand. Aside from being a fantastic news source, Vox also produces a myriad of content to satisfy the curiosity of a history nerd like me. I often find myself wondering about the historical context of today's "hot topics", and Vox creates a number of videos that provide just that. However, if you feel like taking in more light-hearted stories, like the history of linoleum or why we use the Dutch Angle, Vox also has you covered.

3. Associated Press

The Associated Press is another favorite news source of mine. Typically, I use the AP as a source to verify stories I see circulating on social media. For example, a celebrity death is likely to have happened if the AP has reported on it. Similarly, I use the AP as a source to fact-check political stories circulating online, as well. I also turn to this source for international news. Though some international stories get reported by televised American news, the Associated Press is a great source to learn about international events in context. 

4. Last Week Tonight

When I need some comic relief with my news, I turn to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. If you are short on time, Oliver provides a summary of the week's big news stories during the first part of each weekly episode. However, the majority of the show is generally used to deep-dive into a topic related to some type of current event. Though the full show is only available on HBO, these deep-dive portions of the show are all available for free on YouTube. Comedy aside, I appreciate the accessibility of this show, even for people who may not have access to the full network. Like Vox, I find that Oliver and his team do a fantastic job of putting complex and, often, heavy topics into a more digestible format that usually includes background of the topic and possible solutions to the problem. 

5. Twitter

Finally, I often use Twitter as a jumping-off point for my news. I would advise caution when gathering news from any form of social media. That said, I find that Twitter's trending pages and stories are very useful for staying up-to-date on news from many industries. After seeing a headline on Twitter, I typically look to see who is putting out stories on the topic or who the company has featured to provide additional information. Generally, if a variety of reputable sources (e.g. network news, newspapers, etc.) are able to corroborate the story, I believe it to be true. As with any other news gathered from social media, I would highly recommend using more reliable sources to learn more about the details of a story.