free speech

Al Gore Comes Out Against SOPA/PIPA

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:23:34 -0500

Full article: TechDirt
Mike Masnick
Al Gore has come out strongly against SOPA and PIPA, angrily denouncing the bill and its supporters. In a video, Gore doesn't focus only on "foreign" sites as supporters of these bills would like everyone to do; he points out that these bills put new requirements on many domestic Internet companies.

Confused by SOPA? Five Multimedia Explainers

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:12:31 -0500

Full article: Media Bistro
Elana Zak
The Stop Online Privacy Piracy Act (SOPA) has generated a lot of press in the last few months. The controversial bill, along with its companion bill, Protect-IP Act (PIPA), intends to fight copyright infringement and piracy but has turned into a bitter battle between old and new media. Here are some interactive articles that explain the bill.

Media Minutes: November 18, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:58:34 -0500

Internet companies and public interest groups are fighting a bill that could legalize Internet censorship. The Stop Online Piracy Act would allow corporations to shut down websites they suspect of copyright infringment and freeze payments to content providers and advertisers — all without a court hearing. And while the nation focuses on federal cuts to public media institutions like NPR and PBS, a new report shows how a quiet effort to cut state funding is eliminating stations, programming and jobs.

How Occupy Became This Century's Free Speech Movement

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:57:21 -0500

Full article: Wired
Quinn Norton
The Occupy movement took a turn for the symbolic in Berkeley last week, harkening back to a heritage of protest, social unrest and progressive causes. And, according to one former member of the Free Speech Movement, which began in the same spot, the implications of the Occupy movement could reverberate for a generation -- even if the protesters only force small institutional changes.

High Schoolers Heart Free Speech

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:14:20 -0400

Full article: SavetheInternet.com
Josh Levy
As millions of Facebook and Twitter users know, the Internet, more than any other medium, is dominated by the speech of billions. This has become a cliche but it's true: The Internet is the greatest gift to free speech since the printing press. Now, the Knight Foundation’s new study of high schoolers' social media use confirms the role social media has played in this explosion of expression.

Media Minutes: September 30, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:04:00 -0400

Free Press filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet rules. And Black Voices for Internet Freedom is a new coalition of local and national organizations and leaders focused on keeping the Internet open and free from discrimination.

Ecuadorean Journalist Flees to U.S.

Stevie Converse — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:09:35 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Simon Romero
Emilio Palacio, a senior journalist at the newspaper <em>El Universo</em>, has disclosed that he has fled to the United States after he and three of the newspaper's board members were sentenced to three years in prison in a dispute over coverage of President Rafael Correa.

Social Media Crackdown? It'd Be More than Unsociable

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:59:28 -0400

Full article: Los Angeles Times
James Rainey
Anxiety and clear thinking don't usually mix, as evidenced by the commentators and government officials who have decided that the fault lies not, dear Twitter, in ourselves but in our social media. From the prime minister of England to the bosses of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, there's talk, or more, of silencing tweets, stifling Facebook and corralling text messages, at least in times of suspected trouble.

BART Puts Social Media Crackdown in 'Uncharted' Legal Territory

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:44:46 -0400

Full article: Christian Science Monitor
Daniel B. Wood
Ongoing clashes between the Bay Area Rapid Transit authority and protesters rallying against the shooting death of a homeless man by BART police July 3 are raising new questions about where society can draw the line between free speech and public safety in a high-tech world. Several legal analysts say the case could raise legal conflicts that could be resolved only by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Why Banning Social Media in the U.K. Is a Bad Idea

Stevie Converse — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:58:12 -0400

Full article: Mediabistro
Elana Zak
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron believes that looters and rioters in London used social media to coordinate their movements and propel the riots. He plans to meet with BlackBerry and Twitter officials to "discuss their roles during the violent outbreaks," saying, in effect, that social media should be stopped. Simply put, this is not a good idea.