Marketplace of Ideas

The First Amendment freedom of speech is often described as creating a "marketplace of ideas." In this marketplace, all are free to present their ideas and, hopefully, the soundest of them will become the most prevalent. But when to regulate speech has always been controversial. After all, what is inflammatory speech to one person is a hard truth to another. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Why should we have free speech? What does it do for our society?

•What types of speech currently test the limits of free speech?

•Does the Marketplace of Ideas work? Do the most credible, rationally-sound ideas inevitably win out?

•Is the solution to be an "absolutist" on the First Amendment? Why or why not?

Cal State LA Field Trip 10/19

We visit Cal State LA for a tour of the campus, with an emphasis on media-related departments. This field trip is of interest to anyone wishing to transfer or who wants to know more about student life on a university campus.

The Doodle signup list is now closed.

Better Than ABC123

Your Humble Blogger, perhaps because he is of a certain age, sometimes has trouble remembering all his passwords. But we've been told that weird combinations of letters, numbers and symbols (such as mASS1&COMm+01) are necessary for password strength, and that we should change even those passwords fairly often. But thinking is beginning to change over what makes a good password. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How many accounts do you have that need a password?

•How often do you forget a password?

•Do you know anyone who has had their account hacked?

•Do you think you could more easily remember a phrase?

LA Times Tour, Sept. 21

***Both LA Times Tours are full.***

Who Does the First Amendment Protect?

Students generally have an intuitive understanding of Freedom of Speech. Freedom of the Press is a little more nuanced. Students are even more confused when the right to speech bumps up against the right to a free press. One of those battles is being argued now as extremist persons and groups seek a right to express their views and raise money on popular web sites. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What does the First Amendment freedom of speech mean to you? What does freedom of the press mean to you?

•Should Internet companies have the right to exclude views they feel are offensive or dangerous?

•Is raising money a form of speech? Does that mean that extremist groups have a First Amendment right to not get kicked off crowdfunding websites?

•Is Google more like the LA Times or CBS (which can legally control what goes into the paper or onto the screen) or is it more like the phone company (which can't legally exclude groups they don't like from making phone calls)?