"When Truth Survives Free Speech"

This article tells a very unique story of a passionate blogger who was charged for defamation. She wrote a lot about Mr. Padrick, saying he was an evil man that performed illegal acts while in court. She published so much and even devoted a website just to bash his company, that larger medi started becoming interested. This sent Mr. Padrick's firm down the drain. I believe that Ms. Cx was wrong for her doings. She made all of the assumptions without proper evidence and I don't believe that has a place in our Free Marketplace of ideas. I believe I order for it to be justified, she needed to use full evidence and admit she was wrong.

Mitchell Graham
September 23rd

               The Free Market of Ideas is a very important role in our media and press. This enables anyone to have the freedom to argue an opinion and support an opinion without harsh criticism. For example the political debates. These politicians can argue and call each other out in a civilized manner without being stopped or interrupted. Without this system, politicians wouldn't be able toback themselves or defend themselves if someone verbally attacked them. This also involves comments on websites. This allows people the right to post and comment whatever they want both for or against whatever the article is about. Thomas Jefferson quoted that if a mans opinion is wrong but he is willinging for people to dispute him, then he won't be criticized. I do not nessecarily believe that this system 100% works. There are still situations where someone can be talked down upon without being able to defend himself. This is the negative effects of such a system.

Evidence of Free Speech

In the piece I read, the author did show a lot of evidence of Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech. The author voices his opinion about ObamaCare and how he feels about it. In this case, he agrees with ObamaCare and supports the president, but he also bashes some important political figures like George Bush and Mitt Romney. He almosts speaks to the republican party by saying that they shouldn't repeal ObamaCare because it only does good for the citizens. In some countries, writing badly about political figures can be considered illegal and some people can be jailed or killed because of this. If the author did not have freedom of speech, this article would be very limited. He would not have been able to support his points without talking about the wrongs of the other party. 

If we didn't have freedom of speech, the ordinary citizen wouldn't be heard. We talk and write about hot-topics everyday that some people don't agree with. Without this right, we wouldn't be able to voice our simple opinions. I believe the government would benefit from this. They would have the option to only release to their people what they want to be released. They would almost have complete control of what we interpret and what we base our decisions upon. 

What is news?

News in my opinion is current events that are the most important. In order for something to be classified as news, the topic must be relevant to what is happening in the world, or a recent story. News should be something that can impact someone's life. Who decides the news is an interesting question. In the United States, most news is released and determined by the private sectors, which leads to thousands of news stories every day. Some countries like North Korea, news is determined the the government, so there is a lot less that can be obtained. In order for a population to be content, I believe the news must come from the private sectors, with no government censorship.

Relationship with the media

I most often go on the Internet or the television to get my media. On the Internet I can access thousands and thousands of sources at a very quick speed. These sources include news websites and social media. On the television I can watch a broader variety of media, such as reality tv shows and a sports game. For my news, I mainly use the Internet. It's handy when I can get exactly what I'm looking for exactly when I need it. Also I can read and interpret the news by myself rather than a biased news station. I am most often entertained and informed. At the end of the day, I am not persuaded because I feel like I am capable of making my own decisions. Media has shaped me in a good way. One of the things that I like about the media is that it's accessible to a lot of people. In some countries, media is censored and government ran. In America the private sector can run media sites and television stations. Media has also taught me that there is two sides of every story. One article can be talking about one subject in one way, and the second can be talking about the same topic in a different way.

Language and Mass Communication

Language

            Language can be defined in many ways. Language is how humans communicate on a basic and everyday level. I use language to describe how I am feeling, and to interact with peers. The most general type of language is spoken. People use spoken language everyday. The purposes of language is to be able to communicate with people which makes for an easier way of life. Without a proper language, living would be significantly more difficult. Another example is written language. Writing has been around for a very long time, and the use of language in writing is widely used. The purpose can be to talk to someone that lives far away for communicate without being face-to-face. the advantages are an easier form of communication, but it also comes with disadvantages. There are many different kinds of spoken and written language on Earth, depending on where you are from. The language barrier between different countries has proved to be a problem.


Mass Communication

          Mass communication is a very broad term. In order for a company, political party, ect. to do successfully, they have to be able to reach a large audience. One example of mass communication is the internet. The internet has quickly become the most dependent source for news and social media. The purposes of the internet is to be able to gain information at a amazing speed. You can read a news article within seconds of the writer finishing it. Also, the internet is a great way to communicate with other people through social media (facebook, twitter, email). Most people and institutions rely heavily on the use of email to communicate and quick speeds. Another form of mass communication is television and radio. Most news television stations have biased news stations, which reach a very large audience, where they are free to display speeches and ads. Most homes in America have cable television, which allows them to connect with people they dont know. If the president has to make a speech, its broadcasted on the television so everyone can tune in and the president will reach as much of the US as possible. The disadvantages are people getting mislead because of a large amount of biased information.