Our founding fathers knew how important it is for each American citizen to be able to use one of the most powerful tools: our voice. The second clause of the First Amendment establishes that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, yet the Espionage Act in 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 blatantly go against these principles.
Since Congress is the branch of government to decide whether our country will go to war or not, it should come as no surprise that they also passed these laws that punished anti-war government employees and silenced anti-war voices. It was quite literally a crime to criticize the government and it's action. But isn't this the whole point of a democracy? Isn't the responsibility of each citizen to criticize the government and practice vertical checks and balances between all levels?
Even though it appears unconstitutional, because it may very well be, anti-war voices are still somewhat silenced today in the way they are missing from mainstream media.
After reviewing some of the stories on anti-war websites, it was evident that these opinions were not identical to the ones that are constantly published in the news and media that we often consume. We rely on these larger news organizations for our information; however, are we really consuming a variety of sources or the same opinions repeated in all mainstream media?
We are forced to search for these minority opinions elsewhere, and they are somewhat difficult to locate because they are considered controversial. These controversial opinions, however, are a necessary contribution to the marketplace of ideas that we claim to have established in our country.
The American Conservative recently published a story about the thousands of Nikki Haley donors from the Democratic Party that are doing everything they can to stop Trump and undermine the GOP. On the other hand, the Washington Post has only been concerned with Trump's hush trial and the claim's made against him.
I understand that it is important to write without bias, but it is ultimately inevitable. Many mainstream news outlets tend to have a certain bias in the choices of what stories they cover and how they approach the more controversial topics.
The same conservative website features stories about the pro-life movement, Trump's correct statements about NATO, and Nikki Haley's "desperate speech for relevance." I highly doubt these stories would be featured in the common media that portray Trump as the villain of this time period.
So do we actually have a marketplace of ideas, and more specifically one that accepts all thoughts and opinions? The short answer would be no. At least not in the mainstream media that we are all exposed to whether we search for it or not.
From Samuel Morse's "What Hath God Wrought" message on the telegraph in 1844 to the newly released Apple Vision Pro, communication technology has continuously evolved alongside society. As our class reviewed the developments made in the last few centuries, it was eye-opening to see how far we've come in the way we are able to communicate with one another.
I enjoyed learning about some of the older technologies such as the invention of the printing press in 1440, the radio in 1920, and the use of carrier pigeons dating all the way back to 3000 BCE. Each one of these mediums had a substantial effect on communication in its respective time period.
Gutenberg's Printing Press
The invention of the printing press and radio, though centuries apart, had a similar influence in the way they contributed to the concept of mass media and the spread of information. Before these technologies, it was difficult to spread knowledge quickly and to large amounts of people. Gutenberg's invention of movable-type printing revolutionized society by standardizing language, spreading ideas, increasing literacy and growing the printing industry.
If it weren't for this advancement in mass communication, the idea of the press would not exist. The printing press is credited for the first print run of the Bible in Latin, which took about 3 years to print 200 copies. It also influenced the Italian Renaissance and the Enlightenment Era as authors and philosophers were able to publish their work and reach larger audiences.
Radio's Impact on Society
Similarly, the invention of the radio has been long-lasting and significant. Radio completely changed the landscape of mass media and helped to create a popular culture among society. Citizens all over the nation were listening to the same stories and advertising, creating a sense of unity during challenging times of Depression and world war.
Radio connected people in a way that had never really been accomplished prior; but more importantly, radio completely altered the speed at which information spread. Radio broadcasts provided real-time information, some even broadcasting 24 hours a day. It no longer took days for individuals to learn about current events as radio provided news at a rapid rate, one that would have not been possible years prior.
The Carrier Pigeon
However, the most surprising and intriguing medium of communication discussed in my peer's presentations had to have been the carrier pigeons, mainly because of how long this was a common "technology."
From Ancient Egypt in 3000 BCE to the present day, carrier pigeons have been effective messengers due to their natural homing abilities. During both the First and Second World Wars, carrier pigeons were used to transport messages back to their home coop behind the lines. These pigeons often carried important messages that saved lives and won battles.
One specific pigeon named Cher Ami delivered a message that saved a large group of surrounded American infantrymen and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for heroic service.
Even more recently, the news released a story about a pigeon being held in custody by Indian authorities for eight months on suspicion of spying for China. Officials determined it was no avian agent of espionage and released the pigeon on Feb. 2, 2024.
This simply proves that even the smallest or most unusual communication technology can still have an immense impact on the way we share messages and communicate with one another.
YouTube is one of the largest and most popular online video distribution platforms, having more than four billion hours of video viewers monthly and an estimated 500 hours of video content uploaded every minute.
It is easily considered a behemoth of the Internet as it has completely altered the digital world and the consumption of entertainment, music, information and so on.
Where It All Began
YouTube was initially created as a platform for anyone to post any video content they desired. Other social media platforms, such as Myspace and Facebook, had seen significant success in the years prior, but none of these were specifically designed with the purpose of posting videos. Therefore, when three PayPal employees saw their opportunity to create a digital place to do so, they took it.
"Video, we felt, really wasn't being addressed on the Internet," said Hurley in an early interview. "People were collecting video clips on their cell phones...but there was no easy way to share [them]."
The name "YouTube" is a representation of the platform's original purpose.
You = content is user-generated
Tube = reference to older term for television
The platform officially launched on Dec. 15, 2005, serving more than two million video views each day. The number of videos available at the site surpassed 25 million in March 2006, with more than 20,000 new videos uploaded daily.
Its rapid and immense growth led to the allocation of more funds for potential litigation, computer equipment and broadband connections to the Internet. Eventually, Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock in Nov. 2006. Google then was able to negotiate deals with entertainment companies allowing the use of some copyrighted materials and removing tens of thousands of others.
In order to increase revenue and support the growth of the platform, Google added its advertisement service. The company also makes a profit through its subscriber-based model, known as YouTube Premium. This model offers exclusive benefits, such as ad-free videos, and charges a regular subscription fee like many other streaming services.
Positive Effects: Media Convergence and Social Influence
YouTube contributes to the idea of media convergence where people use the platform as a stepping stone to mainstream media and mainstream media uses it to promote their programs. It benefits both individuals and large companies through the variety of uses. This invention also led to the creation of a YouTuber, otherwise known as a content creator or influencer, making a living by selling ad space before or on videos they create and upload.
This platform emphasized the fine line between the creator and consumer as many people became both. Data shows that contributing comments on videos was just as gratifying and important as video creation itself. One source described the platform as a virtual coffee house, one where people share ideas and gather with other like-minded individuals.
Furthermore, the idea of amateur and professional musician, musical venue and audience member are being changed through YouTube. Many popular artists today were first discovered on YouTube, such as Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes and The Weeknd.
Finally, the creation of YouTube has impacted education and the spread of information as content can be geared toward any age group or target audience. There is a ton of educational content posted on this platform, including how-to videos for some of the most unusual tasks.
Negative Effects: Copyright Issues and Addiction
Since YouTube deals with users creating and posting video or audio content, copyright is a common issue. This is more than a financial and legal conflict as it reflects tension between amateur, individual mediascape and professional, institutional mediascape. The platform is a space for both so it can be difficult to keep them separate and legally give credit where it is due.
YouTube has faced issues with misinformation during presidential elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, but its Chief Product Officer claims they are "making authoritative information more prominent and aggressively removing policy-violating content."
The platform follows the same policies for ads and political content as Google, which bans misleading information in general. Under its Community Guidelines, YouTube prohibits content that contains "spam, scams, or other deceptive practices." The platform says that it is able to remove policy-violating content by investing in new technologies and tactics for identifying malicious actors.
For some, the time spent engaging with YouTube can be excessive and potentially problematic.
The appeal of online networking, among youth specifically, has resulted in extensive and extended use of social media, which is beginning to show negative affects in health, well-being, family life and work. Both creating and viewing activities are associated with psychological and interpersonal satisfaction, which for a small minority could lead to an addiction.
Nevertheless, YouTube plays a huge role in social influence and has led to an overflow of creativity, innovation and self-expression. The creation of this video distribution platform has truly altered the digital world impacting culture, education, music, entertainment and communication as a whole.
