The Right to Write

The First Amendment right to freedom of speech has always been, in my opinion, a shield for journalists to hide behind when expressing unpopular opinions.

So it's no surprise that when social media opens up so many opportunities for anyone to voice their thoughts, the legal issues come pouring in behind them.

A recent study by the Knight Foundation found that people who use social media as their news source regularly are more supportive of unpopular opinions than those that do not.

I can tell you from personal experience that when Casey Anthony was found innocent, I found out via Facebook because of all the "heavily opinionated" statuses that came with the verdict.

But, as we've also seen recently, this newly found freedom of expression also comes with a big backlash. In Kean University's own hometown, a high school teacher is under investigation for posting anti-gay comments on her personal Facebook page in response to an LGBT event at her school.

The situation is ironic because the same study reveals that "36 percent of teachers agree that students should be allowed to express their opinions about teachers and school administrators on Facebook without worrying about being punished at school for what they say."

So why the double standard, and where is the line drawn between what is acceptable in freedom of speech and what isn't covered by our rights?

http://keansocialmedia.blogspot.com