Today in class we were studying Media Law. Basically I learned that you are protected under the first amendment with little exceptions. I also learned that there are two types of control: Censorship and after-the-fact. Censorship is blocked before it even reaches the public eye. It can be used during: military operations at time of war to prevent information from being leaked. It is also used to protect national security to keep things secret, like spies or CIA agents. Lastly it is used when something poses a clear and present danger. Clear and present danger is essentially that you have the right to yell fire in a crowded room, but can be arrested because you cause harm to others.
After-the-fact control is a little different. It is when the media chooses to publish something and take risks. There are multiple types, but today we focused on libel/slander. Libel is when you write something about someone that isn't true whereas slander is speaking something that isn't true. It is when you ruin someones reputation. There are three things that help the courts determine if it was libel/slander: (1) was it truthful? (2) official proceeding (court case/town meeting) (3) was it a fair comment?
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