Media Law & Literacy Course

The term that I decided to focus on for this blog post is disinformation. The simple definition of disinformation is false information that is deliberately spread in order to sway people's opinions or obscure the truth. It is commonly used by governments to cover up the truth or to portray them in a different light to the general public. Disinformation is dangerous because it has the power to scare people and to cover up the truth.  Joseph Stalin was the one who coined the term, and named it after a KGB black propoganda department. Throughout history, the disinformation tactic was frequently used throughout wars. For example, disinformation can be, and is commonly used politically. A political group can use it to spread their agenda and influence minds. Disinformation can easily make one party or one type of people look bad. The people most susceptible to disinformation are people who have not been educated on how to properly research real v. fake news, and people who d...

After reading and considering all 8 of the Speech Theories, the one I wanted to connect the most was #4. Individual Self- Fufillment (aka Self-Actualization) has a direct connection with social media, a prominent communication technology. Individual Self-Fufillment, according to the definition on the class page, is " Free speech enables individuals to express themselves and thereby create their own identify — and, in the process perhaps, find kindred spirits. Freedom of speech thus becomes an aspect of human dignity, human agency and autonomy."  The part of this that resonates with me and connects the most to social media is the aspect of allowing individuals to express themselves and find their own identity. On social media, you are allowed to post whatever you like as long as it does not violate guidlines of the website. People can post their interests, no matter what they are, and find someone with similar interests. They can then connect and bond over their shared inter...

Social media is taking over more and more as society and technology advances. Looking at social media through the Diffusion Theory lens allows us to have a different perspective on WHY it caught on and how. Some people were early adopters and were open to joining social media sites when they began. Some people, however, were not on board and avoid social media and all it has to offer. There are many reasons why someone might enjoy and catch on to social media. If they like being able to communicate with others when they are not together, share ideas and likes, and see what other people are doing in their day-to-day life, someone would enjoy social media. The early adopters are ones who are morer well-versed in the 'do's' and 'dont's' of different socials. For example, an early adopter of Instagram would have a better understanding of the platform and what posts are most popular than someone who was a late adopter. It also is an easier option for those with soc...

The technology I chose to research is Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a type of technology that allows you to connect one device to another in order to share data. Bluetooth originated at the Swedish telecommunications company, Ericsson. Nils Rydbeck and Johan Ullman comissioned Jaap Haartson and Sven Mattisson to come up with short link radio technology. The goal was to not have as many cables between different technologies. Bluetooth is not tied or linked to any product but instead managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. They are a committee who revises standards and licenses technology and trademarks to manufacturers. Bluetooth is advanced enough that you can connect to multiple devices from one device. For example, my iPhone allows me to be able to Bluetooth my car, speaker, headphones, friend's car, my printer, and much more. However, once a device is conncted you cannot connect to another at the same time. When people think of Bluetooth, they likely think of cars. New ca...

When watching, listening, or reading the news it is not often that we hear about strong anti war agendas. This may be for a number of reasons, but I believe it is because most Americans think that war corresponds with strength, and everyone wants to belive they live in a strong country. Lots of companies also profit off of war, and want to promote wars so they continue to make profit. Another reason could be that American wants to tell its citizens that war is good and worth the money, resources, and lives. If the media was constantly promoting anti-war agendas, the morale of the general public would decrease and the government would have to deal with people arguing war and protesting it. I think that people have to seek out these obscure websites to read about this topic because the media and government do not want people hearing about it. In America, people who are antiwar are typically a minority, and their writings do not get as much traffic as they shoud. I think that everyone s...

The times of the Civil War may seem long gone, but they are in fact relevant and occuring today. During the recent protests, protestors have been tearing down and vandalising Confederate statues that were put up after the Civil War. The Black community is upset and outraged (for good reason) at the treatment they have been recieveing, especially from the police and government. Having statues of generals who fought for slavery is not a good image and is upsetting for most people. Most southern lawmakers have made it harder to get rid of these statues, so protestors have gone in a different direction in eliminating them. One of the six freedoms in the first amendment is the freedom to assemble/petition. This allows the protest against the government to occur. The amendment says that they must be peaceful, however the mistreatment of Black people for so long has caused many to protest aggressively. In an ideal world, peaceful protests would immediately lead to change. This is not the c...