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Speech on censorship in the media
Speech on censorship in the media
Media and censorship
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There has been much debate about what exactly is covered by the first amendment. True, it blankets free speech, but should it always apply? Obviously not when public safety is at stake. For example, yelling “Fire!” in a crowded area is punishable by law because it causes public endangerment. But, some people insist these restrictions to free speech should be more generally applied. Some even believe newspapers should be censored. They even go so far as to state certain pictures should not be published at all because they believe pictures could negatively affect the general public. Publication of controversial pictures is essential and greatly compensates for any discomfort caused by them.
In 1963, South Vietnam was commanded by Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem led the South Vietnamese government in the persecution of Buddhists. This caused great unrest in South Vietnam. One particular man was so distressed by this, he decided to rebel. That man was Thich Quang Duc. In the middle of a busy intersection in Saigon, Quang Duc set himself on fire. Press had been notified of a protest in the area previously, but none took it seriously. Malcolm Browne, an American journalist, was present, however. He captured the death of Quang Duc on camera.
Since Browne did not zoom in on Quang Duc, the viewer is able to see many things in the background of the photo. The most obvious thing in the background is a small building that looks as if it is a store of some type. This seems like an ordinary store, in a seemingly ordinary place, if it were not for what is happening in front of it. A crowd of people is gathered around. The crowd appears to be standing very still; all eyes are focused on Quang Duc. Some spectators are seen kneeling in front of the others,...
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... thought-provoking pictures. Newspapers are essential to informing readers about what is going on in the world around them. Newspapers striving to persuade readers may publish biased articles, but a picture is always trustworthy. By appealing purely to a viewer’s emotions, pictures are much more influential than words could ever be. Ultimately, it is imperative newspapers publish controversial pictures for the sake of the common good.
Works Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Bedau. “Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical
Thinking and Argument, with Readings”. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014. Print.
Browne, Malcolm. NBC News. Jun. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Ephron, Nora. “The Boston Photographs”. Barnet and Bedau 170-175. Print.
Lat, David, and Zachary Shemtob. “Executions Should Be Televised”. Barnet and Bedau 53-55.
Print.
Instead of telling readers what to think through words, readers can form their own point of view from a photo. A photograph that showed different interpretations was taken during WWII after the destruction of Iwo Jima in Japan of Americans soldiers raising an American flag in the ruins. Some viewers may perceive this act as patriotic, and others may have thought it was an act of terrorism and revenge. Either opinion could be argued and the photograph is the evidence. Since photographs can be unbiased, they can also hold truthful detail. For example, one photograph from the Vietnam war depicted a Vietnamese police officer shooting a Viet Cong in the streets. There are a lot of emotion in that photograph that words cannot describe all; which included the fear and hostility that was upheld during the time. Newspapers need to print more of these kinds of photographs to educate people the ugliness of war and death. Ephron pointed out, “throughout the Vietnam War, editors were reluctant to print atrocity pictures. . . That 's what that war was about.” War and its deaths are a part of history too, and history needs to be kept true and unbiased. As long as the photos are not altered nor used for propaganda, they can be
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From 1954-1963, Diem presided over an increasingly corrupt, devious, and repressive regime. Communist guerrillas backed by North Vietnam launched a new rebellion, but a civil disobedience campaign led by the country's Buddhist monks contributed more directly to his downfall. Brutal persecution of the dissident monks in 1963 damaged the regime's already shaky international reputation. With American support, Vietnamese generals overthrew and assassinated Ngo later that year.
Creating a safe space is more important for some rather than others. In “The Hell You Say” by Kelefa Sanneh for The New Yorker, he provides an interesting look at the views of Americans who support censorship of speech and those who are completely against it. Another issue I gathered from his article was that people use their right to free speech in wrong ways and end up harassing people. Providing two sides of a controversial debate, his article makes us think of which side we are on. So, whether or not censorship should be enforced; and how the argument for free speech is not always for the right reason, Sanneh explores this with us.
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The free speech clause in the Bill of Rights states: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech” (US Const., amend I). This clause, albeit consists of a mere ten words, holds much power and affluence in the American unique way of life. It guarantees Americans the right to speak freely without censorship by preventing the government from restricting the rights of the people to express their opinions. Consequently, this freedom can encourage citizens’ participation in politics; promote an adaptable and tolerant community; facilitate the discovery of truth; and ultimately create a stable nation. However, how much freedom should be granted to an individual? Where should the line be drawn for the coverage free speech protection? (1) What happens when the exercise of free speech puts other constitutional values in jeopardy? What values should prevail? (2) In an attempt to address these questions, many opposing interpretations have been presented. While some construe this clause in an absolute, categorical approach, others take on a more lenient, balancing stance. (1)
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According to “Freedom of Speech” by Gerald Leinwand, Abraham Lincoln once asked, “Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its people, or too weak to maintain its own existence (7)?” This question is particularly appropriate when considering what is perhaps the most sacred of all our Constitutionally guaranteed rights, freedom of expression. Lincoln knew well the potential dangers of expression, having steered the Union through the bitterly divisive Civil War, but he held the Constitution dear enough to protect its promises whenever possible (8).
The First Amendment states that "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 to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (First Amendment Oct. 20, 2013). But "the First Amendment does not protect all speech from government censorship, and it does not prevent private non-government entities from censoring. Years of US Supreme Court decisions have identified exceptions to the general rule that the governments in the United States cannot censor" (Censorship Copyright © 2002). American citizen's right of freedom of speech should be held in the highest integrity and any kind of censorship of free speech should not be allowed because it take away those rights. However, censorship has been going on for centuries.
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