Blog #5: The Printing Press

The History & Impact Of The Printing Press

    The printing press was a revolutionary invention that re-imagined the world of communication. Johannes Gutenberg was a metalsmith, born in Germany in the 14th century. He invented the printing press around 1436, which changed the publication of literature entirely. His machine allowed for ideas, words, and thoughts to all be published and mass produced in a new and inexpensive fashion. This changed the world of literature and society in several impactful ways. 
    The printing press was a machine that utilized “moveable type”. Paper was laid across a wooden plate of arranged moveable letters covered in ink. Another wooden plate above was then used to press the ink into the paper, allowing for pages to be printed much more efficiently. This invention made the entire publishing process much cheaper, therefore allowing literature to become more common among people of all economic backgrounds. 
    In the 14th Century and previously, books were rare and reserved for only the upper classes as they were quite expensive. This was due to the fact that people had to copy each word of a book by hand, in order to make a copy of it. This took a lot of time and dedication, as well as the ability to read and write. Therefore, books were an expensive purchase. In addition, prior to the 14th century it was not common for anyone except for members of the upper class to be taught how to read, so there was no demand for a mass-production of literature. However, by the 14th Century, according to Steve Heimler, there was a new growth of literacy among individuals. People began learning how to read and therefore the demand for printed literature was on the rise. 
    The first work that was printed on the printing press was the Gutenberg Bible, which “was printed in 42-line columns”. Several other religious works soon followed on the printing press, along with other works. This invention not only made it cheaper to print pages, but allowed information to be shared and distributed in a much more efficient way. Thanks to Gutenberg’s invention, news was able to travel across Europe. This promoted the sharing of ideas, thoughts, religions, and so on especially during the Renaissance. The Renaissance, from 1490 until 1520, was a time of “rebirth” after the dark times of the Middle Ages. This was a time of cultural growth, creativity, and invention in Europe. The printing press made these ideas possible as it helped to share plans, news, and art across all of Europe. 

    In addition, the printing press was also extremely impactful for the Protestant Reformation, a religious reform movement in the 1500s. It was through the utilization of the printing press that reformers were able to share their ideas across Europe. Reformers printed pamphlets and distributed them to large audiences. Famous reformer, Martin Luther, relied on this invention heavily to challenge the Catholic Church’s authority.
    In all, the invention of the printing press impacted so many aspects of society. It aided in a rise in literacy, helped share information among individuals, produced a new way of documenting history, and provided new ways of entertainment through literature. This invention positively shaped the world of communication and provided the basis for so many styles of communication that are used today.

Blog Post #4: Privacy

    The idea of privacy, which is the state or condition of being free being observed or disturbed by other people, is a very important topic that more people should care about. I myself don’t think about privacy issues daily or even really until now. However, it is a pressing matter that needs to be more commonly discussed by the federal government and private citizens as well. 

    The first TEDtalk discusses the idea of electronic tattoos. Juan Enriquez makes the metaphor that what you post and what is posted about you online is like an electronic tattoo, permanently on display. He makes the claim that “electronic tattoos also shout” just like ink ones do. This is a warning that has been taught over and over again to me and my generation, by our parents, friends, older siblings, teachers, and more. Moreover, he claims that their permanence is immortal and can always be traced back no matter how far back it is.

    I think that there are both positives and negatives to the “immortality” aspect that accompanies being a part of the digital age. In a way, it is a great representation of history, your past, makes it easy to look back on the fond memories you have. However, it also comes with times that you do not want to remember and more likely, don’t want others to remember. The stories that Juan Enriquez mentions about the Greeks hold so much weight in the digital world. Each story has a core lesson that applies so heavily to social media and that my own parents have voiced over and over. 

 Catherine Crump then goes on to discuss all of the modern technology that is currently being used by both the federal government and police departments to gather data on private citizens. Through modern technology such as traffic cameras, car GPS, and so on, the government is able to pinpoint where you are at specific times. In addition, they are using this on all citizens, so therefore when they cross reference the data, they can tell who citizens are interacting with, where, and sometimes even why. This is a very scary and eye-opening TEDtalk. I think that this is a major overstep into citizens’ rights and that laws need to be passed in order to correct this behavior and prevent it from continuing to happen. 

    Christopher Soghoian spends his TEDtalk informing listeners about wiretapping and surveillance systems within lines of communication. He mentions that “first and foremost”, telephone networks and companies built surveillance systems and features into their products. This data was collected and accessible to the federal government as well as police departments. However, there is less and less use of landlines and now dated lines of communications, as the IPhone has become increasingly popular. The IPhone has apps such as iMessage, facetime, and Whatsapp, all of which have strong encryption technology that is not easily wiretapped. 

    Nevertheless, we’ve all been scrolling through social media or online shopping when targeted ads, videos, or posts appear that you may have been talking about earlier in the day. In recent years, there have been debates about how to maintain your privacy while also having a smartphone. There is no doubt in my mind that iPhones listen to you. In fact, one of the features of the Apple IPhone is “Hey Siri”, which allows Siri to activate through voice command. This feature has been set off by somewhat similar phrases or sometimes just random conversations. Now it is claimed that Siri is not always listening, however in 2019 a privacy scandal arose when it was released that several conversations had been “accidentally recorded”. Therefore, privacy is not only being violated by the government or government departments, but private companies as well.

    The fourth video was very upsetting. This type of privacy invasion and violation is horrifying. People never think that it will happen to them, however Darieth Chisolm breaks that mindset as she shares her own story. Her movement's website, 50 Shades of Silence, includes shocking facts such as “87% of Americans have a smartphone that connects to the internet-exposing them to possible threats” and that “72% of internet users have witnessed at least one harassing behavior online”. These statistics prove that this is a major issue that needs to be more talked about among lawmakers and government officials. There is not enough protection of people’s privacy when it comes to laws, and even worse there are not enough laws to help get justice after the crimes are committed. Darieth shares that it took months and several courtroom trips, including sharing the website contents with numerous teams of male lawyers, for them to even issue for the website to be taken down. This is unacceptable and things need to change. The laws and rights of citizens have not developed nearly fast enough to keep up with the ever evolving internet and digital age.

Blog Post #3: The Eight Values of Free Expression

 

    The eight values of free expression together make up the foundation of free speech in the United States. Each of these eight values hold such power within our country, as they are the basis for democracy itself. They provide individuals with the ability to criticize the government, each other, and themselves; as they promote ideas of individuality, change, self-actualization, and more. These eight values portray the importance of the First Amendment to the lives of Americans. Without any one of these values, society and the lives of individuals would drastically change in immeasurable ways. 

Marketplace of Ideas

    John Milton is charged with the proclamation of the Marketplace of Ideas, in his Areopagitica where he said “Let truth and falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter”. This statement birthed the Marketplace of Ideas, which claims that it is important to hear all types of ideas whether they are good or bad because in the end the good truthful ideas will prevail and be that much stronger. This idea has gone on to develop and inspire even individuals today, 100 years later, such as musician Kelly Clarkson who claims “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. I would argue that this is the most important value overall, as it is the very basis of why free speech is so vital to a successful democracy, as well as is the foundation for all of the other seven values. It allows an exchange of ideas and thoughts no matter if they are so called “right” or “wrong”.

    This is what separates us from so many other countries, such as China, North Korea, and Iran. Individuals are able to voice their own opinions, political views, statements, and so on whether they are backed up or not and for individuals to decide what to believe – which Milton claims is evidently the truth. This freedom allows people to be different, to speak and think differently, and to proudly say whatever they think to be true. Moreover, this leads to good debates and can help to create new ideas and ways of thinking as it provides the opportunity for an open conservation. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment

    The fourth value of free expression, Individual Self-Fulfillment, can be traced back to C. Edwin Baker. Baker makes claims that free expression protected by the First Amendment is “protected not as a means to achieve a collective good but because of its value to the individual''. In other words, the idea is that free speech is meant so that individuals are able to express themselves and therefore create their own identities. This is the most important of the eight values to me. I think that self-expression is a vital and necessary element of free speech. This is what allows people to choose their own paths, identities, characteristics, interests, and so on. It is what allows people to shape their own lives to the way they want them to be. 

    This is such a huge part of the American identity as well. I have read and wrote countless essays on the idea of the American Dream; the somewhat elusive ideal that Americans strived for and what made our country so precious to so many. This idea is what drew my own grandparents to immigrate to the United States from Ireland, Denmark, and Canada. They pursued this ideal and began creating the life that they wanted for themselves and their families, through hard-work and perseverance. They were able to do this because of the idea of Individual Self-Fulfillment. They set themselves apart and choose to bravely make a journey, start anew in a foreign country, all for the rights and protections offered by the First Amendment and Constitution. They came to fulfill their own idea of the American Dream, one that was made possible through values such as Self-Fulfillment. 

Promote Tolerance

    The sixth value, produced by Lee Bollinger is Promote Tolerance. This value argues that even though the First Amendment protects free speech including hate and crude speech, which can upset individuals, it actually makes our society stronger. The protection of this type of speech provides society with the chance to learn lessons. As individuals, once this type of speech is heard, they can then decide for themselves – thanks to the First Amendment – whether or not they want to personally tolerate that type of speech. Although they cannot forbid it from being said or being out in the world, they can choose whether or not they will tolerate it. 

    I think that this value is what is most commonly seen in society today. This has become a very popular topic especially with the growth of social media and my generation joining the large population of users. Although I do think that this is a very beneficial value and should absolutely be utilized, I think that people have taken it a bit too far. As a society, especially over quarantine when individuals spent an absurd amount of time online and when a lot of controversial issues were occurring or being discussed, this value became misused. In 2020, “cancel culture” was on the rise. Individuals were using this to accuse politicians, celebrities, and even regular people for what they were saying online. I personally do not condone hateful speech especially when it is done hidden behind a screen, however the First Amendment does in fact protect the rights of individuals to make these types of comments. More importantly though, “cancel culture” was being used to silence people who had differing views. It got out of control and was turned into a hunt for anything to silence individuals from speaking their minds. This very concept goes against free expression in its entirety and therefore could be detrimental if abused. 

Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court

    

    The Supreme Court of the United States, is the highest level of court in our nation. It consists of one Chief Justice and currently 8 Justices. As a court, the nine justices make decisions on around 100 cases a year that are sent up from the lower courts. They have made historic decisions that have shaped our nation, such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which overturned the “separate but equal” decision of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and led to desegregation in schools. Other famous cases such as Miranda v. Arizona (1966) which established citizen’s Miranda Rights, which police officers must read to a suspect prior to questioning them. These decisions have set precedents in all aspects of the American people’s lives and helped shape society today.
    Prior to watching the videos, I was unaware of the level of cases that were sent to the Supreme Court annually. I only have heard of specific cases and always just assumed that they choose cases that surround popular issues in society. This mindset however was proven wrong, as the video explained that not only does the court go through a magnitude of cases a year, but that the justices also must wait for issues to be brought to them in the form of a case appeal. In addition, I learned that each justice has a team of individuals with legal experience who help them to go through each case and determine which ones the justices will discuss and rule over.
    The most important take-away for me was a new understanding of the Supreme Court. The video dissects the full process that a case goes through if chosen by the Supreme Court. The case is first discussed among the nine justices. Each Justice comes into the conversation with their own thoughts and then discusses in order to potentially change the mind of their peers or point out a different perspective of its state of constitutionality. The case is then argued in front of all nine justices in a public courtroom. Surprisingly, these cases have only one hour for oral arguments, where each side is allocated a half an hour to present their arguments. The justices during this time ask questions which often have one of two purposes, for clarification or as a way of attempting to have another justice change their thought process. Once finished, the justices then decide and then one is tasked to write a brief, which is a much longer process full of corrections, redrafting, and compromise. In all, this video showed me just how complex the courts truly are and how many stages just one case goes through to reach a decision. I always thought of them as a intimidating group, picking and choosing which issues they wanted to make decisions on. I never knew the full workings of the court system or all the checks and balances that are in place, such as the re-drafting of the final decision and the compromise that they have to do with one another in order to publish a final decision. Overall, this video was eye-opening about the innerworkings of our court system.
    Prior to watching the videos, I was unaware of the level of cases that were sent to the Supreme Court annually. I only have heard of specific cases and always just assumed that they choose cases that surround popular issues in society. This mindset however was proven wrong, as the video explained that not only does the court go through a magnitude of cases a year, but that the justices also must wait for issues to be brought to them in the form of a case appeal. In addition, I learned that each justice has a team of individuals with legal experience who help them to go through each case and determine which ones the justices will discuss and rule over.
    The most important take-away for me was a new understanding of the Supreme Court. The video dissects the full process that a case goes through if chosen by the Supreme Court. The case is first discussed among the nine justices. Each Justice comes into the conversation with their own thoughts and then discusses in order to potentially change the mind of their peers or point out a different perspective of its state of constitutionality. The case is then argued in front of all nine justices in a public courtroom. Surprisingly, these cases have only one hour for oral arguments, where each side is allocated a half an hour to present their arguments. The justices during this time ask questions which often have one of two purposes, for clarification or as a way of attempting to have another justice change their thought process. Once finished, the justices then decide and then one is tasked to write a brief, which is a much longer process full of corrections, redrafting, and compromise. In all, this video showed me just how complex the courts truly are and how many stages just one case goes through to reach a decision. I always thought of them as a intimidating group, picking and choosing which issues they wanted to make decisions on. I never knew the full workings of the court system or all the checks and balances that are in place, such as the re-drafting of the final decision and the compromise that they have to do with one another in order to publish a final decision. Overall, this video was eye-opening about the innerworkings of our court system.

Blog Post #1: Top 5 Sources

    The idea of what qualifies as news sources has changed significantly over the past few years. There has been a huge shift to online news sources as the digital age has grown and spread across generations. In my own life, I have switched from seeing my grandparents reading the newspaper, to my parents watching the news on tv, to now me relying solely on the digital versions of news through social media, google searches, online articles, and so on.

Instagram

I would say that Instagram is one of my main sources of news. It is accessible right on my phone’s home-screen and I often find myself checking it multiple times a day. I use Instagram as a way of connecting with people and keeping up to date on a range of different types of news. Through Instagram posts and even stories I find new information about friends, family, pop culture, and even current events. I personally recommend Instagram because it's a very simplistic way of staying up to date. It often won’t have very dense or fact-heavy news articles, but rather short and eye-catching posts, stories, or captions that bring novel news stories to my attention. I then often use one of my other sources to find out more information and dig deeper on a topic. Additionally, one feature that I love about Instagram is the comment sections on posts. I always find myself scrolling through comment sections and more often than not, am found reading a differing opinion that makes me stop and think about a fresh perspective. This type of open dialogue is super important and such a great way to hear from all different voices and opinions! 

Gale

Gale is an online database of academic articles and readings that relate to numerous topics. I typically use this source for academic purposes, as these sources are often very reliable and filled with statistics and facts. The database is also very large, but has tools such as a search bar, filter tool, and a sorting tool, to make finding articles that relate specifically to what you need easy! As a student at High Point University, there is also free access to the Gale databases through the library website which allows you to view full articles as well as create full citations for each source. These are some tools that I absolutely love! However, my favorite part of Gale is that the articles that are on the database are academically reliable. They are full of statistics, information, studies, and educational testimonies, which is extremely vital for academic assignments. 

Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth is undoubtedly my most heavily relied on source. I often turn to friends, family, teachers, peers, and so on for news. Although word of mouth is not always reliable, especially as facts and statements are easily misconstrued the longer a chain of communication continues, it is such a significant way of receiving information. This circulation of information can happen by having simple conversations or even by sitting in a classroom. For instance, prior to our last class, I had not fully understood the bill that is currently being debated, that would ban TikTok. However, once we discussed it in class and connected it with what we had been learning about the 1st Amendment, I suddenly had a new understanding. This then allowed me to educate my own friends when we began discussing it later on, therefore continuing the chain of word of mouth news. 

Fox News

Fox News is a source that I visit a little less often, but nevertheless find very helpful. I am often sent articles from Fox News from family members and friends, and have found that although politically biased they have a lot of great information and interviews. Moreover, I actually enjoy the bias and getting to hear a more conservative point of view on issues and current events. I find that I often receive a more left leaning point of view from many friends and peers and therefore by reading Fox News, I am presented with the opposing side. This then allows me to compare and find my own stance on issues, once I feel that I have been properly informed on all sides of an issue. 

TikTok

TikTok is another form of social media that I unfortunately use daily. I often use this source to find news about celebrities, pop culture, and sometimes current events or issues. This is a very wide-scale platform with users from all over the world. Therefore, it is a great place to find information on world issues and to hear from people who are living in countries around the world, in potentially different situations than one’s self. There are tons of different creators, points of views, and videos that all will discuss the same situation or idea. This often creates communities within TikTok of people who share similar interests or opinions, which is another reason why I like it so much. I personally tend to use TikTok for information and as a news source because of how accessible it is. The videos are anywhere from a few seconds to 3 minutes, so they are an easy way to get quick information while easily holding the attention of users. This has positives and negatives, as everything that I absorb from TikTok, I know to take with a grain of salt as it doesn’t always represent all the information.