Blog Post #3

8 Values of Free Expression

Over the past few weeks of Media Law and Literacy we have been learning about 1st amendments rights, and the importance they bring to our society.  Before hearing about these values in class, I had no idea that they existed, which is upsetting because they play such a crucial role in our society.  These values play a crucial rule in our privilege to have freedoms in this country.  Here is a list of the eight values below. 

1. Marketplace of Ideas: also known as the discovery of truth, it was also an argument against requiring a license to print/publish
2. Participation in Self-Government: It allows citizens to make more informed decisions abut candidates 
3. Stable Change : it is the process of addressing and resolving social conflicts or issues through peaceful dialogue rather than violence or anger. It allows citizens to share their problems causing more stability. 
4. Individual Self-Fulfillment: Free speech allows individuals to express themselves and create  their own self fulfilling identity
5. Check on Governmental Power: freedom of the press enables citizens to learn about abuses of power and because of the check-and-balance system we can restrain government power
6. Promote Tolerance:  means to encourage acceptance, understanding, and respect for differences among people or groups and a more tolerant society is a better society

7. Promote Innovation:  Where free speech is protected and promoted, and it allows citizens to be more involved, creative, and energized in society.  
8. Protect Dissent: This is your right to disagree with the government, and anyone else you may disagree with. The First Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular.

When looking at these 8 values of expressions, it was hard to choose which one resonated with me the most because I feel they all play a crucial part in our society.  If I had to choose one I would say that individual self-fulfillment stuck out to me the most because it is the process of having free speech and how that allows citizens to create an identity and express themselves.  this value allows people to gain a sense of personal satisfaction and that can lead to so much growth personally, with achieving goals, or even someones overall well being.  Self-fulfillment is a key aspect of personal development and can contribute to ones overall satisfaction in life. This value also plays a huge role in our everyday life because of social media.  Social media is an outlet to so many people in this day and age, and for many of them it how they choose to voice their opinion of try to make a difference.  While this isn't always a good thing, many people feel validated by their opinions because of social media, and what they post online.  

I also like the value of checking on governmental power, and I think that value plays a crucial part of keeping our government in check.  Without this value government would have way too much power, and it's possible they wont use this power responsibly. Exercising this right allows for transparency, and accountability in government.  It also allows citizens to get more involved with our government and share unique perspectives.  

Lastly I think tolerance is another extremely important value because it encourages people to have patience and go with grace. In our society it is important to accept everyone for who they are and build people up rather than knock them down.  This value stresses this idea because it encourages acceptance and wants people to respect each other because of their differences.  This is especially important because of social media and people using those platforms to express themselves.  Not only can anyone post anything on social media but anyone can also respond to them.  So there needs to be a mutual respect  between people, which is what this value stresses in a way. 

Overall I think more people need to be educated on the importance on these values because I know personally I had not heard of them until this class but, I feel they play a crucial role in our society and the rights we have.