Freedom of the Press

A press that is free to investigate and criticize the government is absolutely essential in a nation that practices self-government and is therefore dependent on an educated and enlightened citizenry.

Who said this?      Why is The Press Important?

 

On the other hand, newspapers too often take advantage of their freedom and publish lies and scurrilous gossip that could only deceive and mislead the people. Jefferson himself suffered greatly under the latter kind of press during his presidency. But he was a great believer in the ultimate triumph of truth in the free marketplace of ideas, and looked to that for his final vindication.

1) How is our Freedom of Press essential to our Democracy?

2) What does the 1st amendment say about Freeodom of Press?

3) In what ways is our Freedom of Press unique?

4) In what ways has the Press been limited throughout our History?

5) What were the 'Pentagon Papers' and how did they challenge the 1st Amendment?

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

This expression has been attributed to everyone from Voltaire to Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man comic book; but what does it mean?  

The phrase “Great powers bring great responsibilities” is said by Peter’s foster father and uncle, “Uncle Ben”, in the form of advice or warning. Ignoring what would be the last words he would hear from his uncle, Peter decides to employ his new superpowers to win money in a wrestling tournament. He wins the fight, but ends up being deceived by the event's promoter. When a thief steals the promoter’s money, Peter takes revenge by omission: he chooses to let the thief escape. He later learns that his uncle had been shot to death. He starts looking for the killer. When he finally finds him, the hero-in-the-making finds out that it was the same thief that he had let go. The fact naturally awakens a heavy sense of guilt and an acute sense of responsibility and heroism.  It is later repeated by Aunt Mae in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

What is the true origin of the saying?

What power does the media have?

What responsibility do we have to check it?

Lesson: Creating Healthy News Habits

The Influencing Machine

LISTEN TO THE STORY

What is the Influencing Machine?

Introduction Questions

Does the media really control people's minds?

What techniques do advertisers use?

What Is News?

Is this News?

How about these stories?

What makes one thing worth reporting, while another thing is not? We offer a test for news which can work in all societies. We consider what makes some news stories stronger than others. Finally, we look at how news comes to journalists, and the areas of life where we most often find it.

Look at today's Front Pages and Complete 'Where does news come from?'

I Robot, I Media

Q. How can we ensure that our development as moral and social animals keeps pace with our rapidly evolving communications technology?

A. By playing an active role in our media consumption, trusting reporters who demonstrate fairness and reliability over time, offering corrections when they get something wrong, and when we care enough--reading the original documents they worked from.

What is the ‘Singularity?’

Has Mark Zuckerberg already started to create it? Would you want to live there? Why/not?

Don't Panic

So long and thanks for all the fish...

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, an alien researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."  Do movie trailers appeal to our 'deep' or 'hyper' attention?

Douglas Adams cult classic may have been the stuff of Science Fiction in the 1970s, but one can't help compare his fictitious guide to existing modern-day technology.  Never before have we had access to so much information at our fingertips.  So why is it we seem to know so little?  

Isn't now the time to panic?

Chapter 11: Influencing Machine

Remember Jimmy Jet and his TV set?

How does TV affect our brain chemistry?

How has the Corona Pandemic affected recommendations on 'screen time?'  What are the 3 C's?

Can you put each of these innovations in the correct chronological order by numbering them from 1-18?

1) Which had the most impact on the way we get the news? The least? Explain.

2) Where do you get most of your news from? Why?

3) What new technologies have changed media in your lifetime?  The future?

The Matrix In Me

You can see it when you look out your window...  when you turn on your television... when you go to work.  It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.  The truth that like everyone else you were born into a prison that you can not smell or taste or touch.  A prison for your mind.  More precisely the prison OF your mind.  

We think we know the difference between when we are being rational and when we are being impulsive, but what does research show? 

Implicit.harvard.edu


How do the outcomes of this test compare to similar tests on racial bias?

1) Which of these dolls is the 'good' one?  Why?

2) Which of these dolls is the bad one?  Why?

3) Which of these dolls looks most like you?

Can we learn to be less biased?