Jordan Whitmore History 121 December 1, 2015 Carl Jensen’s Stories That Changed America: Muckrakers of the 20th Century Carl Jensen was an author, newspaper reporter, advertising executive, and professor at Sonoma State University. He also founded Project Censored in 1976, a research project on news media censorship, and acted as the director of the program which has remained an important part of the University’s journalistic curriculum since its inception. The techniques used by Jensen to teach journalism have been accepted and used by colleges throughout the country based upon their exceptional quality and standards. Jensen was a strong advocate of the idea of freedom of speech and expression espoused in the First Amendment of the U.S.
Congress’s power to limit freedom of speech in any way is not included in the enumerated powers listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (20-21). The states, if anyone, are the only governments that might posses the power to limit free speech (21). Government officials, however, obviously have no regard for the Constitution or freedom of speech and are acting upon their own desires and values (21). Many examples of freedom of speech infringement are given throughout this book, and the author shows how these kinds of laws are enacted throughout history.
This is the first representation of censorship,
In her article, “Censorship 101,” West crafts her text through numerous court case experience and skill in rhetorical devices as her background expertise is used to her advantage. Sonja West begins her argument with the use of exemplification in a previous court case. The scene is set in 1962, and West garments the introduction with excessive details and biased language as readers quickly root for the victory of the Tinker case and share the celebratory state of their
The United States of America in the 1920s was a period of debate, of shifting values and changing social structures, and was, above anything else, a battleground of clashing ideologies that ultimately boiled down and exploded within the Scopes Trial of 1925. The Scopes Trial was not in any way, shape, or form primarily a conflict of simply one issue alone. Instead, the Scopes Trial was the height of the tensions that emerged within America during the infamous Roaring 20s, and it, unfortunately, pushed smaller, less-debated topics to the sidelines to make way for the main conflict. Issues which revolved around racial and gender tensions existed and were debated at length within society, but were completely ignored during the proceedings of the
In Derek Bok’s, Protecting Freedom of Expression On The Campus, he brings light to the issue of censorship in universities. He states that students at Harvard University got offended after a few students displayed the confederate flag. There have been many cases in which people have tried to censor offensive material however; the Supreme Court preferred to conserve the freedom of expression. He believes that if censorship starts to take place, it will be difficult to know when to cross the line. In addition, it will not fix the initial problem since the offenders will continue to abuse others using different means.
The Comstock Act and Griswold v. Connecticut The New York Times published two articles, “Breaking up the Trade in Obscene Literature-What has been Done Since March” and “7-to-2 Ruling Establishes Marriage Privileges-Stirs Debate,” each about one hundred years apart. The first article, published in 1872, is in reference to the Comstock Act and the second, published in 1965, discusses the Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut. By analyzing these articles, looking at the information presented and omitted by the author and looking at the connotations of the words used to describe people or events, the popular opinion of the times can be determined and compared to show a cultural shift over time.
It is fair to say that most would not want to live in a world without electricity, but if society cannot agree on an energy to use, this imaginary world could become a very real way of life. “Citizens and community members everywhere are seeking smart solutions to our biggest problem - the ecological collapse” (“Top 10 Pros and Cons” 1). The United States’ economy has been fueled by fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. Then, the early 1900s introduced a new, versatile source, oil. Through the 1950s, most Americans viewed rapid economic growth and high consumer spending as positive trends but this prosperity was fouling air and water and damaging natural resources.
In 1971, Marvin Miller, owner of a mail-order business in California specializing in pornographic materials, sent out explicit and unsolicited advertisements for books and movies that contained graphic and uncensored images of sexual activity (Elias, Elias, Bullough, & Brewer, 1999). A business in Newport Beach, California received this mailing and the owner and his mother notified the police of its content, Miller was arrested and subsequently convicted for violating a state statute that prohibited the distribution of obscene material; Miller appealed claiming the materials were protected under the First Amendment’s right to free speech (Elias, et al., 1999). The 1973 decision handed down by the Supreme Court in Miller v. California, defined the scope of First Amendment protections and introduced specific qualifications to determine obscene materials. A key factor in the tension surrounding the right to free speech and materials designated as being obscene stems from the difficulty of defining obscenity.
For a society so hooked on television and internet entertainment in so many genres, it’s strange how we never know what our government can be keeping from us. In Fahrenheit 451, the biggest topic Bradbury brings up is government censorship to make the reader question whether it’s good or bad. In today’s society, it’s been decided that it is, unquestionably, the worst thing to use concerning control of the public. There’s many cases of people censoring students at schools to avoid conflict, and the government withholding information from its citizens in all media. However, when citizens find out that they’ve been censored, all of these problems resurface.
Censorship While Americans are guaranteed free speech and free press in the Bill of Rights to the Constitution, a history of censorship has nevertheless existed in this country. Censorship was at times allowed and even enforced by the United States government. In the early years of film making, censorship was allowed on the grounds that movies were entertainment and not an expression of free speech.
Censorship of The First Amendment This paper will discuss how censorship denies citizens of the United States our full rights as delineated in the First Amendment. It will outline how and why the first amendment was created and included in the Constitution of the United States of America. This paper will also define censorship, discuss a select few legal cases surrounding freedom of speech and censorship as well as provide national and local examples of censorship.
Justice Douglas who dissents, points out the good intention by the Court to make new definitions and formulations. However, it is worth to understand that nor the Constitution nor Bill of Rights mentions obscenity. Also, at the time when Bill of Rights was written there was no distinction between obscene materials and press, and that the 1st Amendment protected all types of press. Thus making obscene material to be equal with other types of press. Only constitutional amendment should the power to enact such guidelines that deal with censorship (O`Brien, 508).
Censorship can be described as the act of cutting out certain material that can be considered obscene or inconvenient for the community. This material can be found in social media such as in the TV, radio, or the internet. Censorship can be challenged because of the first amendment: freedom of speech. Free expression is the right of expressing opinions and ideas without any fear of being restrained or censored. However, freedom of speech does not include the right to incite actions that would harm others or the distribution of obscene material (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 2000).
Susan Jacoby is greatly known for her reputation work in “A First Amendment Junkie” published in 1978. She is recognized in the society, especially by women because of writing a reputational essay which reflects her open views and ideas relating to the censorship of pornography in the society. Her argument is that first amendment is the most important thing and that censorship is a wrong thing. In her essay, Jacoby stands by her belief that it is very wrong to suppress any form of censorship against pornography. She argues that imposing censorship violates the individuals’ right to freedom of speech and press guaranteed in the First Amendment.
