A Fight for Freedom for Journalists “A First Amendment Blind Spot” was published in The Wall Street Journal by Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. The author is a partner of the Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP. He is also the co-chair of the International Women’s Media Foundation. Moreover, he was denominated by the National Law Journal as one of 100 most influential lawyers in America (“Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., JD Biography”).…
The United States of America is one of the only country’s on earth that has the right for freedom of press enshrined in its constitution (U.S. Const. amend. I). If you take a second to stop and think about that, we are one of the only countries who have truly ‘guaranteed media freedom’, that is something very special as well as something that is paramount to maintaining a functioning democratic society. It seems as if we almost take for granted the myriad of different sources and outlets that we can pull from and learn from. In this writing I will present you with two different ideologies that weigh in on the media system in America today, one from a liberal’s point of view and one from a conservatives point of view.…
In I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak, Ed, an underaged cab driver, is given four Aces with three different issues. Throughout his unexpected journey, Ed meets new people, makes new friends and finds out some things he didn’t ever know about his old friends. Ed finds out how to help them through their own problems, and, in the end, finds out why he is chosen to help them. Ed starts off with one card, which is the Ace of Diamonds, where there are three different addresses on them. When he completes the Diamonds he gets another card that is the Ace of Clubs where he is given a riddle that he has to solve, when Ed is done with the first three Aces receives The Ace of Spades where he is…
We do not get arrested for speaking our minds or merely just thinking what we want, as they do in the film. On the other hand, media feeds us information and influences our way of thinking, and more specifically what we think about. For example mass-media would much rather have us think about e.g. celebrities fighting, than us being aware of the brutal police violence in the US, or what is really happening is Syria. We are manipulated to not think about the more ‘important’ things.…
No freedom till we're equal, damn right I support it.” These are lyrics from a song called “Same Love” about marriage equality by rapper Macklemore. Rap is the one genre of music that Robert Peters singled out as being consistently and always violent in his article “Censorship of Violence in Popular Entertainment is Justified”. In this article, there is one large factor missing, evidence supporting his claim that there is too much violence in the media. Peters shows little to no support for his four reasons that media is too violent, he doesn’t name how much is “too much”, and he misses many opportunities to use prime examples as if he hasn’t done much research into the subject himself.…
The Biased viewpoint of Michael Moore tears viewers away from the actual problem, and perhaps even the film’s intended message itself……
The film commenced with Ed Murrow saying “We are going to run with the story because he room is full of terror.” The journalists at that moment searched for their consciences for a family that ensures the Senator in the film emasculate freedom of speech. The film was set n 1950s in the historical period that the fear of communism had to a point of the public abusing the structure of committee leaders. The starts with not enough catching attention aspect because the…
Throughout the contents of multimedia, there are messages that the writer or director are trying to portray. These messages are brought to the attention of the viewer by an intricate series of techniques. However, it stands to reason that within films such as Wag the Dog there are multiple messages that can be seen as problematic. This statement derives from the belief that there is alternate communication between characters and the fundamental interactions between the director and viewer taking individual scenes out of context. In retrospect to the fundamental message in which the film is depicting, the issue regards the manipulation of mass media and public perception to communicate a message that one power wants the wider public to view.…
Michael Moore's latest film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," presents a critical look at the administration of George W. Bush and the War on Terrorism. In this film Moore investigates the rapid growth of the United States government and its trend of trampling the rights of individuals, and the corporatism that is spawned out of the close ties between big government and big business during wartime. Michael Moore may not convince all audiences, but is successful for its factual accuracy in which the evidence spoke for itself, and at the same time proclaimed Moore's artistry in transposing and splicing scenes to create impressions that supported his allegations and opinions. Michael Moore has employed two main techniques in an attempt to successfully influence his audience; psychological means of strategy, and cinematic techniques of persuasion. These methods, coupled with how they are presented to the audience, and how the audience react, are what Moore uses to create a scheming effect.…
Kill the Messenger tells the story of the tragic death of Gary Webb, the controversial newspaper reporter/journalist who committed suicide in December 2004. The film depicts the events of Gary’s investigative journey, as a way of exploring the truth behind government secrecy and crimes and pushes to better reveal the bad nature of the American system.…
It is frustrating that today, society still cannot fathom the idea that all humans deserve equal rights. “A Time to Kill” uncovers the issues that are buried deeply in society's mentality. Analyzing this film through a political advocacy lense, the viewer can reflect upon society norms on gender, race, and personal viewpoints, in order to understand the issues that are still present today. Issues such as Women’s rights, Black lives matter, and discriminating individuals beliefs. Using the political advocacy lense on “A Time to Kill”, expands the viewer’s understanding by showing common situations that are still present today and thus providing the viewer with vital knowledge on said issues.…
Acceptance of others is preceded by understanding them, and helps end strife while coming to peaceful solutions that would otherwise not be created had people not worked together accept and understand others. When people use their ability to look beyond personal judgements and biases, they are able to come to compromises and solutions that suit all involved. Those lacking a tolerance of others tend to get wrapped up in exclusive pride or ideas. These people cannot look past that to create an end result that is beneficial for the whole and in the long-run. This is seen in the documentary directed by Lisa Gossels, “My So-Called Enemy,” when these teenage girls are given an opportunity to create an understanding between the Pakistani and Israeli…
Mass media made viewers believe that the world was more dangerous than it actually was. The film showed how these media-induced fears and anxieties provided grounds for intolerance, extremism, and a paranoid style of politics that threatened basic democratic values. He talked about the government’s power over the mass media that leaves Americans in a state of perpetual fear. The result was a fascinating and exposed introduction to debates about media violence and media effects. Yet across the board, on issue after issue, studies have repeatedly shown that the very things that scare Americans the most have little to no basis in fact. Media violence inundated every home with choreographed brutality. It was and still is a relentless exposure to violence. All of the information that he provided was astonishing and really opened my eyes. A few statistics that he talked about where that children see on average 8,000 murders by the end of elementary school and 200,000 acts of violence by age 18. This is absolutely ridiculous. It makes me think twice about letting my children someday television. There is even “happy violence,’’ meaning that most fairytales, artistic shows, or journalistic features lead to a happy ending. It’s simply sugar coated with humor or “happy violence.” Now really thinking about it, it is so true. We don’t even realize it but mass media messages…
Freedom Writers is a movie created from the sociological perspectives of a community submerged in social inequality. The systematic study of human social behavior is conveyed in the story of this group of teens, who are taught to fend for their own ethnicity. Unfortunately, teens that are raised in poor economical conditions have a tendency to turn to gangs, where they readily identify themselves. For adolescents is important in order to discover whom they identify themselves with. Although corruption is abundant in the life's of Eva, Andres, Tito, Marcus, Jamal...Etc, Mrs G, came in as guidance, as a lighthouse to their already somber lives.…
The Advent Killer is a crime novel about DI Antonia Hawkins’s fight against the serial killer who murders his victims each Sunday. A recurring theme within crime literature is that of underlying mental health issues triggering the killer’s lust for blood. But I don’t believe the use of mental illness is always necessary, as it is often used to create an unpredictable plot. The Advent Killer precisely demonstrates this trope. The killer’s actions were the effect of thoughts provoked by a very disturbing childhood. I will reflect in this chapter how Alastair Gunn has used mental illness to produce an exciting novel, presenting several instances of contradictions as a result.…