“A free press
needs to be a respected press.” Tom Stoppard
Societies around the world differ on
their views of “Free speech” and the direct correlation comes through the media
that surrounds those cultures. Print, television, and mobile media are decided
based upon the owners, and if government steps in, it can become a powerful
tool for propaganda. In the same vein, how we see the perceived influence of
this media is important. National media or information that is viewed across a
nation can quickly become worldwide news, which raises the issue in question.
Does our freedom have a price? A news story that surges through the United
States can be completely taken out of context when viewed in places that have a
different regime, such as China, which is under a communist regime. How the
world reacts to these issues, whether by culture, religion, or race, greatly
impacts the true “Freedom” we have in media. Do we truly have a free press in
the 21st century? Or are we held down by different views in
opinions, and forced to sit idly by and accept what is “allowed” by those that
would intrude upon it. The goal of this blog is to examine different issues and
stories currently circling around our media, and examine whether or not it
shows a freedom of speech and press today, or if we are shackled.
