Do you know just how important the first amendment is? I mean not just to someone who deals in journalism, but to everyone. Nearly all of our other freedoms and rights stem from that one right to free expression.
I am currently enrolled in Gordon Jackson's Media Law class and McPherson's Media Law class. Both classes are teaching me about the importance of the first amendments. Entire chapters and weeks of classes are spent on it.
I am realizing just how lucky we are to live in a country where we can express nearly any sentiment we want.
Now I just finished up a chapter that dealt with personal injury laws. It was a little heavy to read, because there was example after example of people who had died from copying something they saw or read in a publication. At first it makes you want to jump in and censor everything that's published. In retrospect though, I am realizing that although tragedies happen, if we did allow censorship it would turn into a slippery slope and the lines between free speech and threats to personal safety would be pushed past their reasonable limits.
I am starting to appreciate freedom of expression. Even nasty expression. Obvious example. The almost Koran burning. While I come nowhere near supporting this, I do at least appreciate why he had the legal right to do this had he actually gone through with it. Ethically speaking is separate from the law. you can't regulate ethics without standardizing them and I think everyone can appreciate that sentiment at least.
Needless to say, all my classes are making me think. They make me think about the ethics of laws, whether or not they should be ethical, and what I value in my own life concerning freedoms.
I worked on our student publication in High School and we were constantly fighting the administration to combat prior restraint. I had an amazing adviser who instilled pride into us and taught us that as long as we were fair ethical journalists, we had the right to publish whatever we liked.
I even had a parent on my case for using the word "sex" in one of my articles, even though I was quoting an outside source. It never went much farther than that, but it was still fascinating to see just how much people so badly wanted to restrict our rights to expression.
It wasn't so long ago that people were jailed and injured for opposing the government. When you study the history and progress of free speech, it makes you appreciate how far it's come and what value it holds. I'll be the first to admit that media has plenty of problems. But is there a field out there that doesn't?
After I left my high school, I kept tabs on the journalism program to see where it would go because it was on track to really go places. Latest I've heard since a new adviser for the paper was hired: before it goes to print, a copy goes to the administration for "final edits." This cuts right to my heart. The sentiment of the first amendment is lost.
NOTE: I went to a private school so legally speaking, the school has the right too do this. Whether or not they should....that's up for a whole lotta debate.
Visiting Campus
15 years ago
