You Could Call Me Crazy...

Well, I guess I haven't really given much of an introduction to myself since starting this blog.  Better late than never I suppose.  There are two major parts of my life that best define who I am and what I'm all about.  First of all, I am running Cross Country and Track for High Point University.  Running has been a huge part of my life since high school, and it continues to be a motivator, teacher, sanctuary, and a reason to go to bed a few minutes earlier.  The sport is truly beautiful because of its range of influence on a person's life.  Running can knock you down (and kick you while you're there).  In these moments I learn the most about myself.  When things go south and I hit a wall, can't improve, don't perform or meet a standard, it can be devastating and frustrating.  However, this is when it is most important to reflect and adjust.  Without any re-evaluation it is impossible to get out of that frustrated state.  Running can build you up too.  When I crush a workout or run a big personal record, it makes getting up and running ten to twelve miles every day that much more worth it.  It makes toeing the line exhilarating.  It makes everything done in the dark when nobody is watching that much more rewarding.  Sounds crazy right?  Most people agree that distance runners have to be at least a little crazy to actually enjoy what we do.  Well, even my crazy teammates think I'm a madman.  Why?  That brings me to that promised second major part of my identity: after the summer of 2020 (hopefully) I'll be a Marine.  This past summer I completed my first six week session of Officer Candidates School - PLC Juniors.  These six weeks were some of the most challenging of my life, and I'm insane enough to go back for more! Such a daunting task would deter many people, but those who, like myself, have worked so hard to get to this point have already ingrained some semblance of the warrior ethos and Marine Corps values into their lives and personalities.  I personally have worked towards OCS and military service since my sophomore year of high school, so, quitting now just isn't an option.  Call me crazy if you want, but that's just fuel in the tank for me.

Keywords:
Running
Marines
Determination

Class Takeaways

Over the course of the semester I have found that keeping a running blog has made me more aware of events and issues in our society.  One of the biggest takeaways is my new, more complete understanding of the First Amendment and the rights and privileges it gives to the American people.  I now understand why we are the freest country in the world.  I have been able to explore topics such as the Supreme Court, multilingualism, and, most recently, the media ban in Sri Lanka following terrorist attacks.  Blogging about these topics has allowed me to learn in depth about each through research.  From this class in general I have been able to expand my knowledge of the history of the First Amendment, Communications technology, and the world, especially the United States, as it pertains to communications and free speech.  I feel that because of this class, I am able to be a better and more aware citizen.  This is because I have a new understanding of what my duties, rights and responsibilities are as someone born and living in the United States.

Why Blogging and Unrestricted Journalism is Important

Simply put, unrestricted journalism promotes the free market of ideas theory.  This states that all ideas, good, bad, and ugly, should be put out for everyone to see.  The bad ideas and good ideas struggle against each other in the eyes of the public, and eventually it is thought that only the good ideas will remain in the end.  So...how does this relate to blogging?  Blogging is a way for the public to make its voice and opinions heard, and it promotes a flow and production of new ideas.  Our society stands on the foundation of ideas, creation, and the voice of the public.  This is just one of the many outlets the public can utilize.

Echo Chambers and How to Avoid Them

Are many Americans and citizens worldwide living in echo chambers?  To answer this we must first ask: what is an echo chamber?  Simply put, an echo chamber is a situation in which people will only hear or pay attention to stories, news, media, etc. that is of an opinion similar to their own.  In this day and age with the scale of online media and the number of media sources, it is easy to find a source at virtually any point on a political spectrum.  This is a double edged sword of sorts because while there are plenty of ways to get a full story, not everyone is willing to read media sources that are outside of their political biases with an open mind.  This means that there are probably millions of people who are stuck in echo chambers.  In order to avoid this situation it is paramount that readers, students, educators, the general public, and really anyone that has business paying attention to news (which is everyone) reads every article and story with an open mind, especially if it comes from a source they would not normally agree with politically.  Another key to avoiding echo chambers is to seek out news media that has an opposing viewpoint to your own.  One of the best strategies to staying informed and aware is to keep an open mind, and avoid being stuck in echo chambers.

Sri Lanka Social Media Ban

After the devastating attacks in Sri Lanka the government issued a ban on most social media platforms (especially Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Viber).  As American Citizens that firmly believe in First Amendment rights, this may be concerning because of the ban's infringement upon what we feel is a basic right.  Well in this case the Sri Lankan Government had a just reason to impose this ban.  That reason was to protect the Muslim citizens in the country and prevent or reduce the spread of disinformation about the attacks.  It was found that people were using social media in order to incite violence against Muslims and spread anti-Islamic propaganda.  There may have been better ways to prevent these things from happening, although the social media ban is not entirely unethical or unwarranted in this situation.

Propaganda: History and Connotations

Often times when we hear the word "propaganda" we think of the 20th century definition of the word: "dissemination of information—facts, arguments, rumours, half-truths, or lies—to influence public opinion."  This definition is accurate for almost all uses of propaganda within the last century, especially during WWI, WWII, and The Cold War.  When studying these periods of European and Asian history there are many examples of propaganda being used by every major country in this way.  China, the Soviet Union, Germany, and the United States are generally the first four that come to mind.  Despite the heavy political and generally negative connotations of the word today, propaganda was originally a religious term used by the Pope in the 17th century to spread Catholicism to non-Catholic countries and regions.  At this time it was a fairly neutral word, if not a positively associated one.  Barbara Diggs-Brown describes this on page 48 of Strategic Public Relations: An Audience-Centered Approach.  Whatever the use and purpose of propaganda, it has undeniably shaped public opinions for better or worse throughout history, and even today it is still used as a tool to advance agendas.

Online Presence and Footprint

In the digital age almost everyone has an online presence.  Whether you know it or not, it is very likely that there is information or records of you on the internet.  Here is a prime example of someone being unaware of their online presence for most of her life.  Many people of both young and old generations are now avid social media users, and this means they will post about daily life, major events (whether personal or world events), careers, hobbies, vacations, and the list goes on.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, although, it often pays to be careful about what you post and the information contained in a post.  Privacy policies can change, user agreements can change, and as we have learned with Facebook: promises mean nothing to tech companies.  One way to be sure you are protected (at least from the public's eyes) is to make all social media accounts private, and only connect with people you know.  Another tip to put into practice is to not share your location when you post.  This will help limit the availability of your information.  A good thing to do if you are an avid social media user is to do an online self-audit.  Go through all of your social media posts and accounts and make sure your account is private, and you are not sharing any more information than you want to.

Evolution of ComTech: Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations

If we can learn anything from the history of communications technology, it is that there will always be new innovations that will take off, only to be replaced or outdone by another.  The expression 'TV killed the radio' is applicable to almost all communications technology.  One example other than TV and radio is the original emergence of motion pictures in 1895.  Because of the accessibility of motion pictures, the use of print media and theater was extremely diminished despite being so popular for several centuries.

Eight Values of Free Expression: Checks on Governmental Power

Of the eight values of free expression (Discovery of Truth, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent. Explanation of each is below) the most important value in our society is Checks on Governmental Power.  Without the ability to restrain the Government from abuse of power it would not be possible for the rest of the eight values to be put into law.  If the American people and press find that the Government is abusing its power, we have the ability to change that because we are a part, a truthfully crucial part, of the checks and balances system.  This sort of 'watchdog role' allows us to put into practice the rest of the eight values.  In countries without the ability to restrain or check on governmental power the citizens do not have the ability to fully practice free expression.  This includes (but is not limited to) countries that have prior restraint laws, religious laws, and sedition or dissent laws.

Authority of the Supreme Court

In 2019 it is often recognized, if not taken for granted, that the Supreme Court has an extremely important role in our Government, and holds a fair amount of power and authority.  This authority is earned through the trust of the American people, and their power is the voice of the American people.  Without our voices the Supreme Court could not function as a branch of government.  This is because the Justices are not allowed to act independently on any issue or case.  Cases and petitions must be brought to them before they can act upon the issue.  The best way to describe this, is that we the people have the power to write and rewrite the constitution, the Supreme Court can only interpret what we write.  With this being said, the Court has been able to make many decisions (not always good ones) on cases that made large and lasting impacts on society.  The Supreme Court did not always have the authority and power it holds now.  Originally, it did not even have its own building, and it was considered the weakest branch of the Government.  Fortunately, the Judicial branch now functions as it was originally intended: to draw the boundaries of Government power.

The Importance of Multilingualism

Many times, Americans are accused of being uneducated or uncultured simply because most are only fluent in English and have not taken the time to learn other languages.  While this generalization is not entirely accurate for all Americans it is important to note that people in most other countries, especially in Europe, Asia, and South America, are able to speak at least two languages.  It is also true that when hiring prospective employees, companies will look highly upon applicants that have second language education.  This is because employers see foreign language fluency and education as a high value entrepreneurial skill.  For foreign relations and international business it is especially imperative that companies employ multilingual personnel in order to effectively communicate with clients.  Knowing a foreign language doesn't only has business applications but also leisure applications.  When traveling to a country that does not primarily speak your native language, it will greatly improve your experience abroad.  This is because you will have a better understanding of the culture, be able to at least somewhat communicate with locals, especially those that speak little to no English, and will better understand many of the places and things that are significant to the country's history.

Understanding Prior Restraints and NDA's

Under the First Amendment we are all protected from restrictions on our writing, reporting, and anything we release to the public or press.  However, many companies, corporations, and private institutions require employees to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, or NDA.  It is understandable that these would be required since it prevents sensitive material from being leaked.  Although we are protected from prior restraints by the First Amendment, it is applicable only to public actors.  This means that the Government cannot restrict your First Amendment rights in any way.  Private actors have no such restrictions.  For instance: if a private university were to impose a NDA and a professor disclosed a sensitive piece of information to the public, the university would be able to fire said professor without being sued for a First Amendment violation.  An article that does a good job explaining some of the rights protected by the First Amendment can be found here.  In summary, the American people are protected from restrictions imposed by the Government, not from private institutions, as per the intentions of the Founding Fathers.

Five Favorite News Sources

BBC World News

BBC offers up to date and accurate reporting on most events worldwide.  They also are fairly unbiased in their reporting, which adds to the credibility and reliability of their journalism.

Associated Press

The Associated Press is another fairly unbiased news source, which is why it is one of my favorites.  They cover events and issues both worldwide and domestically, providing a wide range of stories to the readers and marketing to a large audience.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera deals mostly with international events and issues, usually offering several points of view on each topic.  I like using them as a news source because the site is easy to navigate and gives a good amount of information with every story.

Vox

While I generally lean the opposite direction of Vox, (at least on most political matters) I think it is important to read articles with a point of view that I would tend to disagree with.  Using Vox along with both neutral and opposite leaning sources I can form my own opinions on current issues.

Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal stays up to date on both political news as well as financial news.  Keeping track of financial statuses and corporations is important for any consumer that owns stocks, as well as business people working for corporations.