Media Law & Literacy

The “value of free expression” that resonates with me, is the “check on governmental power” through freedom of the press and through freedom of speech by individuals in blog and social media posts. Internet technology, specifically the first browser in 1993, Google’s search engine in 1999, through to today’s massive public forums on social media sites, have made it much easier for journalists—both established media, and individuals—to spread news of abuses they have uncovered; and much easier for the public to learn about them. For example, President Trump constantly abuses his power, and the press constantly reports it.  When he fired four Inspectors General because they were investigating possible wrongdoing by him and his people, the press reported on the firings and Trump’s self-serving reasons for them.  Anyone could quickly and easily find this information on the internet, around the world. Today’s news contains reports that Trump ignored warnings in his “Presidential D...

Imagine your perfect vacation, whether it’s in America, or an exotic spot around the world. Now you can be there, without taking a step. By putting on your virtual reality gear, you are able to experience your destination while sitting on your couch and sipping coffee or a glass of wine.  The idea of Virtual Reality goes way back to the 1800s. In 1883, the first stereoscope combined two photographs of the same object from slightly different angles giving the image more depth.  Virtual Reality offers entertainment and education. VR headgear creates an immersive 3D environment. Every Virtual Reality headset has one or two screens in front of your eyes. This replaces the real world.  There are two autofocus lenses generally placed between the screen and the eyes that adjust based on the individual's eye movement and positioning of the body. The visuals on the screen are transmitted through either a mobile phone or HDMI cable connected to a PC. The Virtual Reality invention h...

                                                                                                            The websites Antiwar.com and TheAmericanConservative.com give insights into issues I don’t often see in the mainstream media. For example, Antiwar.com currently has reports on how President Trump’s increasing sanctions on Syria are causing more hardship for Syria’s long suffering citizens; and on Israel and the U.S. getting the International Atomic Energy Agency to pressure Iran for more information about its nuclear activity. The AmericanConservative.com features stories on the growing number of civilians in Somalia killed by U.S. military drone strikes; and on...

The six freedoms of the First Amendment sound pretty simple. They include freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, but the “Black Lives Matter” article in “The First Amendment Encyclopedia” shows that exercising your freedom of speech and right to assemble can lead to a complex chain of reactions and can result in violence. The “Black Lives Matter” movement began with the use of the hashtag: #BlackLivesMatter, in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who had shot and killed a Black teen, Trayvon Martin, who had simply been walking by Zimmerman’s property one evening in 2012. Zimmerman got acquitted by saying he was defending his property, even though he had essentially murdered Martin for merely “walking while Black”. First Amendment freedom issues entered the “Black Lives Matter” movement when demonstrations erupted after the murder of another Black teen, 18-year-old Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014.  A police officer shot and killed Brown, after stopping hi...

The six freedoms of the First Amendment sound pretty simple. They include freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, but the “Black Lives Matter” article in “The First Amendment Encyclopedia” shows that exercising your freedom of speech and right to assemble can lead to a complex chain of reactions and can result in violence. The “Black Lives Matter” movement began with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who had shot and killed a Black teen, Trayvon Martin, who had simply been walking by Zimmerman’s property one evening in 2012. Zimmerman got acquitted by saying he was defending his property, even though he had essentially murdered Martin for merely “walking while Black”.  First Amendment freedom issues entered the “Black Lives Matter” movement when demonstrations erupted after the murder of another Black teen, 18-year-old Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. A police officer shot and killed Brown, after stopping him...

The U.S. Supreme Court is the country’s primary defender of the constitution. The court’s nine justices decide legal disputes according to how they interpret the Constitution, which was written more than 200 years ago. The Judiciary Act of 1789, passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, established the Supreme Court as a six judge tribunal. The justices had lifetime appointments. Today the court has nine justices, and they’re still appointed for life. As the final arbiter of the Constitution, the Supreme Court can adjudicate a vast array of legal disputes including those between: Congress and the President; between states; between people; between people and states; and between states and the federal government—basically any dispute that hinges on the interpretation of the Constitution.   With such wide discretion, more than seven thousand writs of certiorari—petitions for action—are submitted to the Supreme Court each year by people who believe their Constitutio...

The "New York Times" and CNN report attracted my attention because it deals with an offshoot of the Black Lives Matter protests that has nothing to do with blacks, but with another oppressed minority.  Around the 1600s Conquistadors from Spain ruled what is now New Mexico, and forced their Catholic religion on the Native Americans.  A statue of one of the Conquistadors’ leaders stands outside a history museum in Albuquerque.  Encouraged by the Black Lives Matter movement, Native Americans and their supporters staged a protest and attempted to pull down the statue.  A counter-protest group, a right-wing militia called the New Mexico Civil Guard, gathered to protect the statue.  Scuffling broke out between the two groups and then one man, who police believe was a member of the militia, began shooting.  He hit one of the anti-Conquistador protesters.  At last report, the victim was in critical condition.  The alleged shooter was arrested. The first a...