Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 4)

Are the dangers of Social Media real? Yes, social media can be dangerous and real and it’s especially dangerous for journalist. Many journalist have faced many difficulties over times such as criticism on social media. Social Media can be a very powerful platform for journalist and for other citizens and anything can happen whether it’s bad or good.  Maria Ressa was one of the female journalist who went through a lot of the years in 2018 and she was a Filipino-American journalist.  She was arrested many times by her own government due to false accusations and it was difficult for her as to why they would make false news about her and arrest her when she’s just trying to be a normal journalist. Ms. Ressa met with Facebook executives to show them research indicating that the social media giant needed to take action against fake news spreading on their platform.  Maria Ressa also quoted, “Online violence leads to real world violence.” Another example about Facebook social media would be involving Trump as he spread false claims against Biden. The “Fake News” need to be taken accountable, because who knows how many other lies or false news can affect the journalist and the people themselves. Spreading lies can laced with anger and hate and without the truth there is definitely no trust and without proof there’s obviously no trust guarantee. During the interview of Maria Ressa she also pointed out the sexism against women as a journalist and only 18 women was elected to win the Noble prize. And due to women journalist facing obstacles and sexism, many women opted out and quit working. She believe to hire more women and to bring the culture back and the whole reason why women journalist was affect was because the downfall of feminist movement. The feminist movement is a movement for women fight for equality and especially the equality for female journalist, but because of social movement it can easily bring the movement down.  So this explains why social media, including Facebook is a dangerous platform sometimes, because it can easily tear people’s career with any fake news or lies.

In a paragraph (or two), post a comment on one of the above readings and/or videos (you could follow up on some of the questions I ask). In your post, try to also provide an example of your own, either of an interesting case involving the First Amendment (freedom of speech/press) or a case of “Fake News” that has gone viral . Due Monday, Oct. 11.

1. Just yesterday, another investigative site (the Pandora Papers) posted highly embarrassing information on how the leader of Jordan and other wealthy people across the globe hide their vast fortunes from the public eye.  This is investigative journalism certainly doing “its job” as a watchdog. (Can you explain why doing so is so important?)

It is important because it has given massive information and detail as a the journalist, and explaining Jordan and other wealthy people’s motives on money. The journalist is most definitely doing well on their job as a watchdog getting information and details from the interviewee.  It is also important to publish it out in public and expose the former leaders from hiding their secret and King Abdullah is one of the former leader who use secret shell company to hide his wealth. This also include exposing other dozens of current and former leaders whose overseas investments were exposed. For example, Prime Minister Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic, who is said to have bought property in the south of France using a complicated offshore structure. Some former leaders also avoid paying taxes, like Tony Blair for example, he’s the former British prime minister, who avoided paying taxes worth more than $400,000 when he and his wife Cherie take over London’s property by purchasing the offshore company that owned it. These are very important information that can catch readers and audience’s views on what their former leaders are up to.

2. Does the First Amendment allow FAKE NEWS?  Facebook (and Twitter) famously allowed the spread of false information during Donald Trump’s presidency but finally kicked him off their sites for lying about the election results (that Biden didn’t win) and generally riling up his supporters with false assertions (leading to the Capitol riots). 

The First Amendment stated that it allows freedom of speech. This is the statement: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The whole purpose of the freedom of speech is to speak what’s on your mind and speaking up on your own beliefs and opinions on the certain situation. But the government stated that it no one was ever allow to slander or spread false information about someone else that isn’t true.  So, no the First Amendment doesn’t allow “Fake News,” and one of the example was about Mr. Trump. He posted a video on January 6th, and it is a stoked violence and it posed a risk to public safety. Basically what he posted was “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election,” Mr. Trump falsely claimed in a video posted to Facebook.  This post caused chaos between Trump supporters and Biden supporters that the Facebook have to ban Trump and block all his post and his account, because he violated the safety policy of Facebook. This is an example text that support the First Amendment will not allow fake news posted, and that includes other fake news, not just in Facebook, but other website, social media platform, or place to publish the news.

In a paragraph (or two), discuss an example from the media (an article or feature) that shows how the media is doing its job 1) serving as a social/political “watchdog” (keeping a watchful eye on American politicians and other prominent figures, our corporations and institutions) 2) encouraging public discussion on an important topic, OR 3) providing readers useful information to help make an “empowered decision”.

It was indeed an article written by Najim Rahim and Matthieu Aikins. In this article it is most definitely encouraging public discussion on an important topic and providing readers useful information to help make an empowered decisions.  In the article it states the horrible tragedy of innocent people in Afghanistan were killed by the U.S Missile Drone, and that includes 7 innocent children being killed.  It also said that a giant American airlift came to carry ten thousands of Afghans to safety, but they also left tens of thousands more behind,  Many civilians from Afghanistan were encourage to speak up about the whole situation in public and to mourn over the lost of their family members. This also include Mr. Ahmadi ( Zemari Ahmadi) and several of the children were killed inside his car, his family witnessed the whole explosion.

Secondly, this article that was posted in new York times was an important information that is helpful to the readers/ audience and that encourages them to help make an empowered decision. Furthermore in the article the most devastating part was Anisaa Ahamdi, Zemari Ahmadi’s wife, having to mourn over the lost of her husband and her 4 innocent children. She said that America used them to defend itself and now they’ve destroyed Afghanistan, and she also said who ever dropped the bomb on them may god punish the attackers.  Another important information. allows the reader to understand was that American lied about Zemari Ahamdi being a ISIS, but he wasn’t. His family claim that the media lied about them and that neither of the family member or Zemari Ahamdi was connected to ISIS.  This is how media is doing it’s job providing information from the witnesses by interviewing that and sharing it to the pubic for every readers to see and include their opinions on the situation.