Essay on "Freedom of Speech There Was Much Debate"

Essay 3 pages (1025 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Freedom of Speech

There was much debate during the Constitutional Convention about which rights should be given to the new Republic. Many were fearful of "mobocracy" with too many freedoms, but it was James Madison who pushed for Freedom of Speech and the Press, noting that the idea of expression in writing, speaking and publishing was one of the seminal rights of liberty. Many have taken this to mean that freedom of speech means that one can say anything in the press that tests the legal limits of libel or injustice. Judith Lichtenberg, however, has a different definition and notes that "Freedom of the press…. Is an instrumental good: it is good if it does certain things and not especially good…. Otherwise" (Lichtenberg, 332).

Thus, there is a difference between Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech. If the press were to support principles that are antithetical to the core beliefs of the nation, then it would be detrimental to the overall health of the country to support Freedom of the Press. Unlike the press of the late 1700s, which was primarily run as a source for information, the modern press is almost entirely focused upon using news to capture a large audience so that it can sell advertising space. Rather than being information driven, it is economically driven through large corporations who have investors and need to ensure profit. Media reports on controversial and sensational "news," thus altering the message and for politicians and governmental officials, and "be a virtually unfiltered mouthpiece" (Lichtenberg, 330).

If we think about media stories, rather than objective reporting with a focus on analysis, we often get sound or video "bits and bites" that, by their framing and nature, distort the reality of the event. This makes sense in one way -- there must be a background and if sensationalism sells, then it is to the reporters advantage to frame their work accordingly. If there is a story about an inner city blight, for instance, and it is framed outside a dilapidated building with obvious signs of crime, and clips are shown of ethnic minorities, etc., then the overall perception is one that may or may not be accurate for that event. What is left out of the story may then be just as vital to the overall message as what is in the story. Further, backdrops can be manipulated through computer software to the point that a reporter can be standing in front of a blue screen in battle fatigues, reporting on a Middle Eastern conflict, and the audience is led to believe the reporter is in the midst of combat. This, Lichtenberg calls, "The Politics of Theater" (Lichtenberg, 331).

The broadcast media has an implied doctrine of fairness that requires them to give a more balanced portion of airtime to the "other" side of the story, or to present an overall viewpoint that is more representative of a broader approach to information; but the print media has no such doctrine. Instead, perhaps in being autonomous in our expectations of media, essentially polluting the… READ MORE

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