Mass Media Freedom of Speech and Social Responsibility

Another paper I wanted to save.

Mass Media Freedom of Speech and Social Responsibility

The events that took place around the world earlier this year raised the question of the social responsibility of the media. Should it relate stories that are marketable and sensational under the label of ‘freedom of speech’ without thought of the consequences on the population at large? At some point, the media has to accept that it holds great power, and that “with great power, comes great responsibility” (Spider-man 2002).

Who is entitled to free speech?

Individual freedom of speech and that of the mass media are the same. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” (Article 19). This is the governing body that is responsible for all individual’s rights regardless of nationality, religion or race around the world. As such, there is one standard of freedom of expression that applies to all nations.

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is defined as “the notion that corporations have an obligation to constituent groups in society other than stockholders and beyond that prescribed by law or union contracts” (Kreitner 61). Just as each individual has an obligation to make each society a better place, corporations do as well.

Free speech and social responsibility

One could argue that a corporation is not an individual and as such, while individuals have a right to free speech, corporations do not. In the case of newspaper corporations, the views they express are those of individuals, and by nature their business is to bring current events, viewpoints, entertainment and any other issues affecting a nation to the public. As businesses, they have a right to edit materials that can be potentially damaging to their organizations or to the community before they are aired. Also, corporations are formed and made functional by individuals and as a result, they have a collective interest in acting in the best interest of a society.

Sensationalism in the media

Over the years, many sensational stories have been aired, printed and become otherwise available to the public. While some of the stories are true, there have been many that were half-truths and some that were not fully investigated or factually checked. At other times, the media quite clearly fanned the flames of discord and at times this has directly resulted in the loss of lives and lead to great civil unrest.

One of the terrible events in our history that has aired many times over is that of the Rwandan genocide. In a land where there is constant struggle for land, water and political power between the indigenous tribes, the confrontations came to the forefront when the Rwandan President President Habyarimana’s plane was shot from the air killing him in April 1994. This started the violence that lasted 100 days in the country. Neighbors, friends and colleagues turned against each other with machetes and clubs in a killing spree that left an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead.

How could the death of one man instigate such violence? The media played a huge role in this. For when the Hutu President was killed, the media reported that it was at the hands of the Tutsis. “During the genocide, radio was used by the Hutu extremist conspirators to mobilise the Hutu majority, to coordinate the killings and to ensure that the plans for extermination were faithfully executed” (http://www.fahamu.org/rwanda.php). The media within the country failed its people by broadcasting inflammatory information, and the western media failed even more. They did not choose to “trust but verify” (Ronald Reagan) as it is their duty to do, they took the Rwandan media coverage as absolute truth and viewed it as yet another African nation at war with itself. As a result, the international community did not intervene until it was too late. Had the media done its job properly, stability could have been maintained at a time when it was most needed. The international media could have brought a halt to the massacre before it escalated out of control. Instead, both the national and international media fanned the flames and let it continue.

But this is not the only instance of the media’s social irresponsibility. Radio Television Serbia was bombed because it was alleged that it was used as a tool of propaganda that fanned ethnic hatred within the state. The Balkan wars were fueled by hatred propagated by the media and left many dead, displaced and missing. It was events such as this that coined the term “ethnic cleansing” in the early 1990s.

There are many more events where the media played a role in fueling crises. After many years of civil unrest, Angola is today a somewhat peaceful nation. This is no thanks to the media. The state-run newspaper Jornal de Angola on March 2, 2002, ran a one page story calling upon the nation’s people to take to the streets to “beat up or kill either slowly or at speed all remaining members of UNITA who dared to remember their slain leader Jonas Savimbi” (Marquis). The Angolan newspaper has a long history of inciting fear and warfare among that nation’s people throughout the country’s civil unrest.

Today many of the murderers of the Rwandan genocide and the Balkan wars have been called to justice for the war crimes that they have committed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. But this justice is two-fold since for the people that are no longer alive, it is has no meaning. Individuals are brought to justice, but the media that serves as the tools of the warlords very rarely sees the insides of such a court.

The positive effects of a socially responsible media

But, not all media are negligent in their news broadcast. The ones that are socially aware and observe their social obligations to communities serve a great and valuable purpose. The television channel Lifetime which is dedicated to programs for women, boasts 1.9 million visitors on its website each month. The station partnered with organizations such as Amnesty International, United Nations Development Fund for Women and The Body Shop to bring the facts of violence against women to the forefront. The popular belief is that the channel only shows “chick flicks”, but this is certainly not the case. Over the years, Lifetime has shed light on domestic violence, kidnapping, alcoholism and most recently the issue of human trafficking.

When a corporation engages in such a major undertaking, it is not only performing a humanitarian service for the community, it is also forming a chain, giving voice to organizations that know the facts but do not have a voice. Many of us will never read an ILO report on child labor statistics or any other such atrocities, but if a movie is made of it and it’s on TV, we will most likely watch it. This is the power of the media and Lifetime recognizes it.

One of the big stories covered in the news over the past couple of weeks was that of myspace.com. The morning television shows talked about the type of images that children post, the things they say and the people they talk to on that popular website. One of the things that came to light throughout these shows was that in most instances, the parents are not aware of how their children spend their time online. Another is that everything word and image that is posted and available online is available to anyone that chooses to browse or search.

The television show Dateline in its series “To Catch a Predator” took its investigation further. Under-aged decoys were set up to engage in conversations with adults and in some instances arranged dates at their homes. From the time the date arrived at the house, Dateline’s camera followed them and then questioned them about whether or not they knew that they had arranged dates with young girls. In most instances the men knew and it wasn’t the first time they were doing it. One man stripped off his clothing from the time he walked in the door and another took his little boy on the date. What this series of shows did was to bring to the attention of the parents the practices of the predators that lie in wait for their children if they don’t take the necessary measures to protect and monitor their children’s online activity.

Until recently, many had never heard of Guantanamo Bay or its purpose. This is a place where the United States holds its prisoners of war. Images and accounts of what was taking place within the prison walls rocked the international community a few years ago. Not only were there human rights violations, but violations of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war. According to the Geneva Convention “prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention” (A.13). If it was not for the images that were broadcasted across television screens, newspapers and websites, these atrocities would not have come to light and would have continued. In the media’s coverage, it was uncovered that not only was psychological torture prevalent in the prison, but that the United States was allegedly transporting prisoners to countries where physical torture was acceptable. Because of all that was uncovered during their investigations, Guantanamo Bay may be closed and rightly so.

The greater good of the media being socially aware and acting responsibly

Over the decades the media has had great influence on societies. It has caused wars and ended them, reported the rise and fall of great men and women alike and called on nations to help those in need. It has the ability to shape, save and end lives. The media serves as our eyes and ears to the world. Because of our inability to observe international events first hand, we have to rely on media outlets to tell us when children are dying of starvation, people are suffering from lack of shelter and women and children are used as tools of war. Without the media bringing us news of these occurrences, we will not be able to reach out with a helping hand.

It is fortunate that many of the media sources understand the power they hold and they utilize it for the greater good. During and after hurricane Kathrina, the Asian Tsunami and the September 11 terror attacks, when the media aired their rallying calls, people listened. The atrocities that take place around the world are brought into our lives and we realize that the opportunities and rights that we have are not entitlements but a gift and a luxury.

She no love him long time

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The Link Between Poverty, Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking

Paper I wrote for school that I wanted to save.

Within every society is a part of the population that lives in poverty. There are three layers within this segment of society. One is absolute poverty, a state that refers to the group of people that lives below the poverty line and cannot afford to purchase basic goods and services needed to maintain standard living. Then there is relative poverty, which is a floating standard of destitution that analyzes individual total income and spending patterns with those of the general population. Individuals with low incomes that use most of their money on goods and services, compared to the general population, fall into the category of people living in relative poverty. Lastly, there is the underclass, which is a term used by sociologists to describe the individuals who live in long term poverty and who are unskilled and lack training. One of the side effects of poverty which, if not tackled at its source, can end up costing many more lives and billions of dollars.

One such side effect is illegal immigration. This is a practice in which a society’s poor engages in a search of a better life and opportunities in another country, not just for themselves but for their families as well. When done illegally, it is an extremely dangerous feat since they could fall prey to bandits, traffickers, disease and sometimes lose their lives. One does not need to look further than one’s own backyard to see the negative effects of illegal immigration. Based on information received from the Mexican foreign ministry, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that “431 migrants died trying to enter the United States in 2003, and 373 died in 2004.” This is an average of more than one death per day along our own borders.

As the debate on what to do with illegal immigrants in the United States continues, the side of the coin that remains obscured from view is the poverty that these people are trying to escape. In their book Mexico: The Struggle for Democratic Development, authors Levy and Bruhn wrote “Poverty and inequality are deep rooted in Mexico. The government’s own figures indicate that almost half the population lives in poverty, unable to meet the Food and Agriculture Organization’s minimal food intake standards, and about seventeen million are in what is classified as extreme poverty” (Levy, Bruhn 13). Seventeen million is an astonishing number of people that not only includes adults but children as well. The immigrants that illegally live on American soil today are here to escape that poverty.

Africa is the poorest continent on the planet and time after time news is brought to the world stage of a society on the brink of starvation. About ten years ago the undernourished children of Nigeria were plastered across the television screens, and more recently, the children of Niger. The reason why this happens is because most African societies rely heavily on farming to feed, clothe and shelter their families. Over the years, the continent has suffered from severe droughts and governments have neglected to put systems into place for families to survive by means other than farming. As a result, the majority of the African population remains poor surviving on less than one dollar a day.

The thousands of Africans that trek through the Sahara desert to cross the Moroccan border into Spain and the European Union seek to escape this poverty. This is by no means a safe endeavor as it involves hiding in clumps of trees and waiting for the right opportunity to rush the fences, which are topped with barbed wires and razors. But this is not the worse of the problems that these immigrants face. They travel hundreds of miles on foot, and because of lack of nutrition and healthcare, they suffer from ill health and fall victim to diseases. Additionally, if they make it to Morocco and are caught, they are taken by the Moroccan authorities to the farthest end of the Algerian desert to find their way back home without any supervision, funds or protection. Many once left to their own devises, turn around and start the trip back to the Moroccan/Spain border hoping that they will not get caught again.

In addition to individual efforts to illegally cross borders is the human trafficking aspect. In some cases, an individual contacts traffickers to organize passage. In others, traffickers solicit individuals with promises of jobs and bright futures. The poor within a society are particularly susceptible to human trafficking, as many times they are told they don’t need to pay upfront and that they can repay their travel expenses when they arrive at their destination and start working.

Not so long ago, thirty two Chinese stowaways were discovered in two containers on a cargo ship which was at sea for two weeks. This was not an individual effort and required the assistance of a human trafficker. But this was a lucky group of individuals, as many that are smuggled from their country, once at their final destination, only end up under the care of their traffickers. Amnesty International’s Firefly Project reported that “An estimated 20,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year. Unlike drugs or arms, humans are used as “products” that can be reused and resold.”

Many of these people live in servitude, as once they arrive at their destination, their passports are taken from them and they are forced to work to pay off their transportation fees for little or no salary. In addition to having no money, they live in fear for themselves and their families, as many times their families in their native countries are threatened with violence. It is unthinkable that in the twenty first century people are viewed as products that can be owned, used and sold.

Individuals that are relatively well off in their own countries seek legal ways to leave, such as obtaining holiday visas, continuing education and employment sponsorships by international organizations. It is society’s poor that are denied such opportunities and fall back on illegal and dangerous means of departure from their home countries.

Today security at the borders of developed countries are tightening as governments seek to curb the influx of illegal immigrants into Europe, North America and other developed nations around the world.

The United States is tackling the issue of Mexicans living illegally in the United States and many arguments have been raised as to why they should not be allowed to stay here. Among the reasons given is that they endanger our national security due to the false documentation which they use, they are taking the jobs that should go to legal American residents, and they committed a crime by crossing the borders illegally and should not be rewarded. These reasons are no different from the ones used by Spain and other countries as an excuse to close their borders.

The managing of illegal immigrants costs governments money which is the moneys of taxpayers. According to Jonathan Xavier Inda, in his recently released book Targeting Immigrants: Government, Technology, and Ethics, “Whether it is healthcare, social services, or education, “illegal” immigrants are said to take advantage of public resources. The cost of this abuse is seen to be borne, of course, by tax-paying citizens” (Inda 112). This is most certainly true, but the other side of the coin is that it is a money making venture for some.

Spain’s alliance with Morocco, which called for Morocco to step up border patrols and return anyone caught attempting to cross the border to their country of origin, has cost both Spain and Morocco a lot. In addition to the finances to build the fences higher and putting more police on border patrol, they have also had to face the human rights violations that came to light after individuals reported having been beaten and left on the verge of starvation in the middle of the arid desert. The issue of human trafficking is costing governments worldwide millions of dollars to combat, and still with very little success in denting this highly organized criminal activity.

But while governments and non-government organizations are seeking to curb illegal immigration, they are neglecting the source of the problem. As they continue to use taxpayer dollars to build the border fences higher, increase border patrols and apprehend the criminals that engage in human smuggling, they have lost sight of as long as entire societies live in poverty, there will always be illegal immigration and individuals will become more resourceful in how they engage in this activity.

Even though it does not solve the problem immediately, governments should look to building infrastructure within societies that will allow every individual in a society to earn a living by which they can reside above the poverty line. They should build systems where people have access to social services, education, healthcare and other means of supporting and bettering their families. These are the things that if individuals lack in their own communities they will cross borders to find. Also, individuals that have the means of supporting themselves and their families are less susceptible to predators.

While the venture of alleviating poverty on such a large scale may seem a daunting and costly task, it is will cost much less than the continuing fight to stop illegal immigration and human trafficking. When one adds in moneys that governments pledge to fight hunger and disease, the cost of the upkeep of the world’s poor becomes much bigger. And these are all only “bandages” that are placed on a much bigger problem.

In fighting poverty and empowering societies, they will stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking figures will decrease, less of the world’s poor would die of starvation and hunger and disease, and tax payers’ monies would be put to better use.

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My Neighbour, the Retard

I live in a garden apartment complex in Bergen County New Jersey. They are really nice, two levels with huge lawns. I live on the downstairs level and there are four one bedroom apartments in the units that I'm in. There is a black guy living in the apartment above me, an Indian couple with a child living in the apartment next to him and three guys sharing the apartment downstairs of them [apartment on the left of mine].

Like most apartment buildings, the walls are paper thin. About three weeks ago, I heard my upstairs neighbour having sex. Actually, first there was Barry White playing for about two hours mixed with laughter. This was followed shortly by his female companion squeeking, oooohing and moaning. Thank goodness this did not last as long as the music did - much to my relief.

After this he started the new retarded habit of turning on his radio at around 10:30 - 11:00 p.m. Not a sound would come from his apartment before that, and then boom. He leaves it on for about an hour and he turns it off. Last night he turned it on at 12:15 a.m. left it on for about an hour and then turned it off. It was so loud that I heard it through my running AC and TV both of which were on while I was sleeping. I rang his doorbell twice but I guess he didn't hear me through his music.

I am working on how to get back at him. I can't imagine waking up at midnight to music for the rest of the summer, I will teach him a lesson yet.

Blog Addict

Gee, I think I'm becoming addicted to blogging, er maybe no, since the only thing I've done so far is create three blogs today. Hopefully, I'll have enough of an imagination to write and fill all three.