Effect of New Media on the World

Image 1. (http://www.anonymous-proxies.org/2009/07/freedom-of-speech-censorship.html)

The internet provides us a platform to retrieve information and exchange information with people. According to Schmid (2009), the protection of freedom of speech is widely enshrined in international and domestic law including the United States Constitution (First Amendment), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19), and the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 10).

However, freedom of speech will never be permitted completely as it serves many functions. What happens when human beings have too much freedom in something, they tend to violate it. In today's world, freedom of speech and freedom of expression is guarantee, but it will never be absolute.

The internet not only provides universal access to free speech, it also promotes the basic concept of freedom of speech. If you believe that there is an inherent value in truth, that human beings on overage and over time recognise and value truth, and that truth is best decided in a free marketplace of ideas, then the ability of the Internet to promote freedom of speech is very important indeed (Internet Freedom of Speech, 1996 - 2009).

Citizen Journalism

With the advance of latest technology, everyone can be a reporter, and everyone stands a chance to voice out their opinion. Doesn't necessarily have to be on television, they can get the same coverage in the Internet by blogs, twitter, and other social networks.

A issue is easily spread globally, according to Nash (2008), journalist-wanna-be bloggers are hiding behind their screens writing about what they feel like saying with no consideration to the outcome and aftermath of what a single word might produce. He goes on saying, if we take a look at the current situation in Lebanon, it is all revolving around irresponsible leaders and media individuals going on and on with no limitation or boundaries, yet we keep hearing about real heroes talking about people issues and concerns being thrown behind bars.

As good as blog is a good alternative media, with too many bloggers and reporters competing with each other coming up with new information would make the Internet become an unhealthy place for readers to seek information and reliable source.

Censorship & Regulations

Censorship and regulations comes in place when information contains sensitive or offensive material. It is needed, whether is in the Internet media or the print media. However, the methods of suppressing free speech and the methods of censoring are very different. Censorship is primarily technological, and thus technological answers may found to prevent censorship, though making it politically or legally unacceptable can work.

Suppression of free speech, on the other hand, is primarily political and legal, and in order to truly win the battle for free speech, political and legal power will need to be brought to bear. For example, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, editor of Malaysia Today, was apprehended under Sedition Act for the articles he wrote countless time, due to his sedition and defamation act towards the politicians in Malaysia.

So, I guess, censorship are not always evil. Bloggers need some boundaries, especially Internet allows anyone to share information anytime anywhere, and some don't even bother clarifying the content of the post and ended up falling into the category of defamation or lack of accuracy in reporting.

Ethical Publishing

Not much people are careful with what they post anymore, as long as it hit the daily requirement and the information is fresh, that's all it count. According to Hunter (2000), ethical standards in publishing continue to rise. Many of these guidelines would have been considered excessive even 10 years ago, not because they had no practical significance but because many medical researchers did not consider such activity as dual publication to be unacceptable. But attitudes have changed significantly, and for the better, as much more thought and debate have been concentrated on these issues.

Reference:

Schmid, NE, 2009, the effect of new media censorship on the world - NMI White Paper Accessed 10 November, 2009
http://www.newmedia.org/articles/the-effect-of-new-media-censorship-on-the-world---nmi-white-paper.html

Internet Freedom of Speech, 1996 - 2009
Accessed 10 November, 2009
http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ip_speech.htm

Instablogs 2009, Blogging, Citizen Journalism and the Alternative Media
Accessed 10 November, 2009
http://nash79.instablogs.com/entry/blogging-citizen-journalism-and-the-alternative-media/

Censorship and Free Speech 2006
Accessed 10 November, 2009
http://www.jerf.org/writings/communicationEthics/node5.html

British Journal of Anaesthesia 2000, Ethics in publishingl are we practising to the highest possible standards?
Accessed 10 November, 2009
http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/85/3/341