Media Law & Literacy Summer 2021

  The Case Against War      Isolationism in America is not new. As far back as the 1930s, Americans opposed the involvement of the United States in World War II. People thought that the government should focus on domestic issues, particularly since the stock market crashed in 1929 and the economy of the country was devastated. But wars tend to be good for the economy because all of the industries associated with them, companies that make airplanes and tanks, guns and ammunition, boots and uniforms, to name just a few, increase production. When production increases, jobs are created. Many economists actually think World War II was a major factor in pulling the United States out of the Great Depression. So while just about everyone would agree that war is ugly and costly in terms of human lives, wars can be especially profitable for lots of businesses. And those businesses have powerful voices that tend to be louder than the antiwar voices.       War is also good for the mainstream media

  PROPAGANDA      Propaganda and advertising may seem very similar. Advertising is something we encounter every day: Think about all the commercials we see on television, the ads we scroll through on social media, or the pop-ups on websites we visit. While some ads may exaggerate the benefits of, or fail to disclose the negative traits of the products they promote, the Federal Trade Commission is the government agency responsible for making sure that the message delivered by advertisers is generally true. Propaganda, on the other hand, is information that is deliberately biased and is used to try to influence the way people view an idea or a belief. Britannica defines propaganda as “dissemination of information – facts, arguments, rumours, half-truths, or lies – to influence public opinion.” (Britannica, 2019)      It only makes sense then that war seems to cause a lot of propaganda. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler created the Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933. This organi

The Record Player      Not many people own records or record players anymore, and if they do, they’re probably not 19 years old. But a few years ago, a record player was the #1 item on my Christmas list, and I was so excited to find one under the tree on Christmas morning! Maybe it’s just in my blood. My grandfather was in the radio business, and I’ve up listening to him tell stories about the music and radio industries, so when I reached out to him about the EOTO project, he was eager to tell me his recollection and opinion of how the phonograph and records changed music forever.      Before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, the only opportunity people had to hear music was if it was played live. If they didn’t live in a city, then they most likely had very limited access to things like orchestras, vaudeville acts and marching bands. Some of the earliest recordings were of military bands, comedy skits, and even “artistic whistling.” (Thompson, 2016) By the 1920s, music wo

     In a decision that was announced this week, the Supreme Court ruled that a high school in Pennsylvania violated a sophomore’s right to free speech when they suspended her for using foul language on Snapchat. Back in 2017, Brandi Levy, who was disappointed when she didn’t make the varsity cheerleading squad, vented on Snapchat ““ F— school f— softball f— cheer f— everything,” the 14-year-old, frustrated at the prospect of another year on the junior-varsity team, wrote on her cellphone, posting a photo of herself and a friend extending middle fingers.” (Bravin, Supreme Court Rules for High-School Cheerleader Brandi Levy in Free-Speech Case Over Snapchat Post, 2021)      For the 8-1 decision, Justice Breyer wrote the majority opinion and in it he stressed that schools cannot censor the speech of students on or off campus as long as what they are saying is not “substantially disruptive.” (Sherman, 2021) This means that schools can still punish students for cyber-bullying or for maki

        After reading and thinking about the Eight Values of Free Expression, the one value that really stands out to me, the one that I think is so important, is the sixth one – Promote Tolerance. I think that just about everyone in today’s society could learn to be more tolerant of opinions that they do not necessarily agree with. I believe that most people find it is much easier to lash out at those who express opinions that they do not agree with on social media than it is in person.      When I scroll through social media these days, it seems like if someone posts something praising or thanking a police officer, then so many people comment on how racist police are and call for “defunding the police.” Ever since Derrick Chauvin caused the death of George Floyd last summer, many people have been calling anyone involved in law enforcement “racist pigs.” But 99% of these people who are judging an entire profession by the actions of one “bad apple” would never dream of saying something

    My most important take away  after watching these videos  is that the Supreme court remains the most powerful governing body today. The decisions of the Supreme Court tell the President, Congress, and the states what they may or may not do: The decisions of these nine justices become the law of the land. Something I learned from these videos is The Supreme Court receives about 100 cases a week and 7,000 cases a year but they only agree to hear about 100 cases a year.       One thing that I learned surprised me:   After hearing a case, all nine judges sit in a room and share their opinions, but one justice writes the opinion of the majority. This takes more time than anything else and revisions may go on for months.  All opinions and decisions are announced at the end of the term in Late June. I knew the Supreme Court was important but these videos really educated me on how the rulings of the Supreme Court can impact our everyday lives.   My own grandfather was lucky enoug