Page 189 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

1 | Government Censorsh p and Freedom of Speech

Speech that meets this test may be prohibited by the states (Gooding v. Wilson,
405 U.S. 518 (1972)). This is a complex standard to enforce, however, because it
is not always clear exactly what kind of speech fits this definition. Not everyone
reacts with violence to an insult, and some have learned to simply walk away in
response to hate-filled epithets.
The development of the Internet has made the issue of hate speech all the
more complex. Web sites preaching racial hatred fall outside the domain of face-
to-face speech, and are thus protected by the First Amendment. Civil rights
activists worry that this technology has greatly facilitated the spread of the mes-
sage of intolerance, allowing racist groups to “recruit” new members under the
protection of electronic anonymity. With each new communication technology
our nation faces new free-speech challenges, and the issue of hate Web sites re-
mains unresolved. While many feel that hate speech is simply too dangerous,
and should be denied free-speech protection, others argue that the best answer
to the voice of hate is more speech—specifically, messages of tolerance. Since
it seems unlikely that banning hate speech will actually eliminate racism, they
suggest that the best way for us to combat prejudice is through education, not
censorship.

many oThEr issuEs
The topics discussed here are only some of the many examples of American
ambivalence about freedom of speech. Other controversies that illustrate our
mixed feelings about the First Amendment include debates about flag burning,
book banning, freedom of speech in the classroom, cameras in the courtroom,
and the right of journalists to withhold the names of anonymous sources. In ad-
dition, critics of media deregulation argue that concentration of ownership in
the United States has created a dangerous situation in which a handful of media
giants control the flow of ideas. Corporate censorship, they warn, has replaced
government censorship as the new threat to the proper functioning of our de-
mocracy, hampering the press from serving its role as the fourth estate.
It is often said that “with freedom comes responsibility.” Exactly what it
means to balance freedom of speech with the responsible exercise of that right
in a democracy continues to be a matter of debate. Despite the many changes
that come with each new communication technology, the deeper issues remain
the same. Living together in freedom calls upon Americans of every political
persuasion to be ever vigilant. Unless we all guard against our own tendencies
towards intolerance and complacency, we risk losing this precious right to let
our voices be heard.
see also Al-Jazeera; Alternative Media in the United States; Anonymous Sources,
Leaks, and National Security; Blogosphere; Hypercommercialism; Media and
Citizenship; Media and Electoral Campaigns; Media Literacy; Minority Media
Ownership; Obscenity and Indecency; Presidential Stagecraft and Militainment;
Propaganda Model; Public Sphere; Sensationalism, Fear Mongering, and Tab-
loid Media; Shock Jocks.