Category: Social Media
Musk’s Twitter Deal: A Win for Intellectual Freedom?
Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter might be on the rocks, but if it does eventually go through, will he change the platform for the better? What’s his stance on intellectual freedom? Does he actually care about free speech?
Private Companies, Public Disputes
Since the First Amendments protects individuals from censorship from the government, not from private companies, it seems unlikely any of these laws will be around for long. Instead, these laws act as a rallying cry for Republicans to galvanize their base as “Big Tech” bias against conservatives is emerging as a top issue for the 2022 midterm elections.
Banned Books Week 2021 Twitter Roundup
Banned Books Week 2021 took place from September 26 through October 2. Here’s a roundup of its coverage on Twitter.
How Should We “Bee” Thinking about Satire?
While some argue that Facebook and other large tech companies are suppressing or censoring conservative viewpoints, the companies argue they are only taking down “false information.” But how does satire fit in?
The Uncertain Fate of Section 230
On May 14, President Joe Biden revoked a slew of Executive Orders enacted by Former President Trump during his final nine months in office, including the “Preventing Online Censorship” executive order which targeted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
“Cancel Culture” Not a Government Matter, But The Boss Can Shut You Down
The law is clear: employers get to decide whether or not an employee’s latest Tweet is grounds for termination and the First Amendment, though meant to be a shield from government overreach, is no shield from private consequence.
State Legislatures Eye Regulating Social Media in Wake of ‘Big Tech Censorship’
Many of the bills use very similar language, referencing “unfair trade practices” and “censorship.” Several bills would require social media platforms to warn users of their specific electronic speech transgressions and give violators a grace period to clean up whatever part of their act that would see them banned. Some bills empower the banned to file consumer complaints with state attorneys general or, like Texas’ SB 2373, to file suit.
From Zora Neale Hurston’s “What White Publishers Won’t Print” (1950) TO #PublishingPaid Me (2020)
Hurston wrote “What White Publishers Won’t Print” in 1950. Seventy years later, #PublishingPaidMe exposed what we now know as the disparity of publishers’ pay advances to Black writers compared to White writers. There is a historical notion that Black books won’t appeal to a broad audience that has long been discredited through the success of many Black books. Hurston’s use of African-American Vernacular (AAV), her portrayal of black women, and Black cultural traditions were used to center Black lives in her stories. Because the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020 are primarily of diverse people and topics, it is imperative to continue supporting and making opportunities equitable for Black writers.
A Conversation with Douglas County Library Director Amy Dodson
This is the story of the Library Director who was threatened by the County Sheriff over her Library’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement in Summer 2020. This launched an investigation and a protest in Douglas County, Nevada.
Parlez-vous Free Speech?
Election disinformation believers, censored on Twitter but welcomed on Parler, prompt society to consider the value of the unfettered freedom to spread dangerously false information.