Stop the Presses: Can Newspapers Survive in the Digital Age?

(Portion of Introduction) The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution is a powerful piece, giving Americans freedom of speech - and freedom of the press. Interpreting those freedoms and fighting for them in Washington and local and national courts has been a skirmish since the beginning of our country. There are those who just don't want you to know things you are entitled to know. Those who see too many abuses by the media have agreed with journalist A.J. Liebling, who said, "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" (Aug. 25, 2004 Slate.com). But a new challenge - some would say more dangerous than any facing journalism in the past - is threatening our cherished freedom of press. It is called technology. Newspapers are desperately trying to adapt to the explosion of the Internet and the high-tech devices that make communication more widespread and portable. In the balance is our right to freedom of the press. Some would argue with fewer gatekeepers we will have a flood of unfiltered information. Let us decide what is best and what we should know. Just look at 2010's big story: the release by the group WikiLeaks of classified and secret U.S. State Department documents that not only embarrassed our country and others, but proved to be enlightening on how the powerful do business. Internet activist Julian Assange, who runs the international non-profit organization, is in hot water on several fronts. But as Al Tompkins points out in his Poynter Institute piece, "What 2011 holds for investigative reporting": "Imagine a Julian Assange in every state and major city in the U.S.," some investigative reporters see the controversial leaks as a turning point that will lead to "an increase in nonprofit investigative journalism organizations that partner with legacy newsrooms to produce meaningful work" (Jan. 3, 2011 Poynter.org).Master'sCollege of Arts and Sciences: Liberal StudiesUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117856/1/McMillan.pd

Cyber Security’s Influence on Modern Society

The world of cyber security is evolving every day, and cyber-criminals are trying to take advantage of it to gain as much money and power as possible. As the Internet continues to grow, more people around the world join the Internet. The purpose of this is to see how much of an importance cyber security has and how cyber-criminals are able to utilize the cyberworld for their own personal gain. Research has been done on how the cyberworld got where it is today. Additionally, individual research has been done in an effort to learn how to hack. A hack lab has been created and a study has been done to see if it is possible to hack into a cell phone within one month without obtaining any knowledge prior to the start of the study

Free Speech and the Confluence of National Security and Internet Exceptionalism

In this Article, I argue that, notwithstanding these contemporary developments, the Court got it mostly right in Brandenburg. Or, I want to at least suggest that it is premature to reconstruct the Brandenburg test to address perceived changes in our global environment. For the most part, Brandenburg has succeeded in mediating the balance between protecting political or ideological advocacy and enabling the government to regulate actual incitement, even in the contemporary era. Moreover, I argue that society should be especially wary of calls to narrow Brandenburg’s speech-protective standard because such changes might be significantly influenced by the confluence of two forms of exceptionalism—national security exceptionalism and internet exceptionalism—both of which are continuing to evolve in real time. In development of this argument, this Article contains three parts

When Technology Makes Headlines: The Media's Double Vision About the Digital Age

Analyzes technology-related news items appearing in lead sections of mainstream media for trends in popular topics, companies, and messages about technology's influence and its risks. Compares findings with trends in new media such as blogs and Twitter

Point, Click, Fire: An Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales

The internet revolution created extraordinary opportunities for commerce to be conducted at the click of a mouse. Instant access to almost unlimited choices and to vast communities of buyers and sellers is a principal asset of e-commerce. This feature, however, can also pose unique challenges for law enforcement. Over the last 15 years, a significant share of the firearms trade in the United States has moved online. The precise volume of online sales is largely unknown -- and, under current law, unknowable, because many of these transactions create no record that would allow them to be counted.Every day, firearms transactions are conducted on thousands of websites among largely anonymous actors. Criminal buyers who once had to purchase in person can now prowl hundreds of thousands of listings to find unscrupulous sellers. Negotiations can be conducted from the discreet remove of a phone call or an email exchange. Federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct background checks on all buyers to prevent sales to felons, the mentally ill, domestic abusers and other prohibited purchasers.4 These screenings are required whether the sale is made on Main Street or over the internet.But unlicensed "private sellers" -- those who are not "in the business" of selling firearms -- do not have to conduct background checks.5 These sales -- which take place in many venues, including gun shows and, increasingly, on the internet -- account for about 40 percent of U.S. sales, and fuel the black market for illegal guns.6 And they leave no electronic or paper trail behind them

Education of Young People and Children as a Way of Fighting Against Internet Hate, a Form of Cyber Violence

Due to highly innovative technologies such as the smartphone, cyber- bullying and on-line, aggression has increasingly affected individuals across the world. Cyber-bullying is defined as repeated unwanted, hurtful, harassing, and threatening interaction through electronic communication media. Anonymity and mobility afforded by the Internet have made harassment and expressions of hate effortless in a landscape that is abstract and beyond the realms of traditional law enforcement. Further, it argues that a broad coalition of government, schools, police and citizenry is likely to be most effective in reducing the harm caused by hate speech. The study discusses the targets of hate on the Internet, provides a framework within which problems can be identified and resolved by accentuating moral and social responsibility, and articulates possible solutions to combat with this increasing problem

The Ever-Shifting Internet Population

Presents findings from surveys conducted between March and May 2002. Takes a new look at Internet access and the digital divide. Explores factors of cost, lack of technology skills, and physical access (particularly for persons with disabilities)