Eight Values of Free Expression

 When you hear or read the word "Innovator", what comes to mind? For most, it would be a person, such as Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, which in itself is correct. The dictionary definition of an innovator is as follows: "A person or group that introduces something new or does something for the first time." With that, a famous inventor like one of the ones previously mentioned can be considered an innovator. The seventh value of the Eight Values of Free Expression is to "Promote Innovation", and it essentially states that a society that promotes freedom of speech has a better chance of producing a creative society, because it's citizens are more likely to work on their unique talents, which leads to more creative and helpful ideas.

                              

In today's day in age, innovation is, dare I say it, easier than ever. As a society, we are in the midst of the digital age, and with that comes the ability to create being stored in our pockets. We can use our smart phones and other smart devices to do things like make movies and make music, all within the palms of our hands. For instance, take this Netflix film called "High Flying Bird". It was all shot on an IPhone camera! Total this with all the other latest and greatest inventions, such as SpaceX's Starlink, a method of satellite internet communication, and you are granted the greatest time period ever for innovation, that being the 21st century.

Even with all of the fantastic new creations we have been gifted over these past few years, a time such as this allows for things to be cautious about. What I mean here is the spread of false information. See, with the boom of social media, we as a society have the ability to connect with the world in the blink of an eye, and that means everyone does. With this, anyone can post pretty much whatever they want on any social media platform, as long as it is nothing too disturbing or hateful. If a post meets that criteria, it will most likely be taken down by administrators. However, social media is where the common-folk go to voice their opinions. With the massive clutter of information we currently have, it is easy to take those opinions as facts, which is why it is critical that you fact check posts you see before further spreading that information yourself.

All in all, I believe that we are for the most part blessed that we are able to so easily create new things and spread new ideas. Social media, being one of those creations, is a great way to connect with others and promote your brand. But, it is also key that we as a society are weary of false information that can get lost in the sea of social media posts. Even so, this does not mean we should be afraid or paranoid about the day in age we are currently living in. It would be in everyone's best interest to cultivate our talents, and use the tools that we have at our disposal to advance our society in any way possible

SCOTUS History

 After reading about the history of the Supreme Court of the United States, I have learned some new things that I had not known before. The most surprising thing that I learned was that when a justice is appointed, they are appointed for life. Even so, this is not explicitly stated in the United States Constitution. What it does say is that the justices "Shall hold their offices during good behavior", meaning they can only be removed by being impeached, or by resigning themselves. One thing that I did not know about this was that there has only been one justice on the supreme court that has been impeached since its creation in 1790, which was Samuel Chase in 1805. The most important takeaway about the supreme court is that it is the number one method of checks and balances towards congress and the president. They can review laws and policies that have been passed to ensure that they are in fact constitutional. In fact, they can review pretty much any action made by the other two branches of government.

My Favorite News Outlets

1. Washington Post

 Any kind of news is the most trustworthy when it is unbiased, and The Washington Post provides just that. I first viewed it when I was required to do so weekly for my American Politics class, and since then it has become a consistent part of my news rotation. What I like most about them is the fact they push no certain agenda, their journalists do a good job of not picking sides and not unnecessarily slandering people who have desires opposite theirs. The majority of their catalogue is events in the political sphere, which is great for keeping up with current events, but they do also have sections for sports and tech. Overall, The Washington Post is an impartial outlet that I would recommend to anybody.

 2. Bleeping Computer

As a computer science major who will hopefully soon be in the industry, it is important for me to stay up to date within the tech realm. Bleeping Computer is an excellent source to do just that, as they cover releases of new technological products, new breakthroughs, as well as news revolving around cyber attacks and viruses. In today's day in age, cyber attacks are all too common. With the current ordeal between Russia and Ukraine, there are even more cyber attacks in the news than usual. It is very important everyone to have a source that covers these things. You never know, your phone, tablet, or computer could be vulnerable to an attack right now.

 3. Twitter

Nowadays people get their news mainly from social media. My favorite form of social media to get news from is Twitter. I like twitter because it shows a lot of diversity. Your feed can go from articles about foreign affairs to a video of someone falling off of their bike with no real smooth transition. While their is an abundance of news one can get from Twitter, the use of caution is necessary. Their are a lot of opinions on social media, and some things that are said are just flat out wrong. Whenever you get any information from Twitter, make sure to do your research and fact checking before you shout the latest news from the rooftops.

4. Bleacher Report

It seems like every sports fan these days relies heavily on Bleacher Report for their daily sports updates, and I am no exception. Bleacher Report is great if you want updates revolving around just one specific player, one specific team, a whole league, or a combination of the three. They have many columnists who 1. Report on the happenings around a specific league, and 2. Give opinions on hot topics. For instance, in the NBA section you'd at any given time be able to get a read on the latest trades and signings, as well as seeing who most people think is at the top of the MVP ladder. There is no politcal agenda being pushed by Bleacher Report either, which is great for someone who thinks that sports and politics should stay in their own realms.  

5. Reuters

Established in London in 1851 by a German man named Paul Reuter,  Reuters is a worldwide news source. This organization seems to be the go to for fact checking, and for good reason. They are in fact a part of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN), which has a set of principles that ensures the validity of all reports. Currently, their home page is riddled with posts about the Ukraine crisis, which makes a lot of sense considering the state of contemporary events. Reuters is also unbiased in all factions, as they are actually listed as centrists on the Media Bias Chart.