Emily Duever

Privacy in the age of technology has been redefined and we no longer have the same privacy our grandparents grew up with. Instead, each and everyone one of us has to come to terms with being monitored and having data collected on them. What really creates a problem in my mind is that some people are unaware, specifically on social media. Not everyone is fully aware of what it means to be on social media when they sign up, especially minors. Just by creating profiles and being on the Internet, they subject themselves to data mining and collecting they are unaware they've signed off on. It's a scary thought that before the age of 18, someone can have a well established online presence and have created a large digital footprint without ever being aware of the possible repercussions or who is listening in. Everyday average citizens remain unaware as well. From the license plate scanners that police use to the data mining on all sorts of Internet sites, privacy is an illusion....

After learning more about key media law terms and concepts, I realized that one stuck out to me. The concept of a whistleblower, while I knew what one was before, was a bit foreign to me and I didn't realize just how important and close to home they can hit. With Julian Assange being the main news story these days, I found it important to familiarize myself with not only his story, but the terms associated with the current news cycle. Whistleblowers have made waves, especially in United States history. In a lot of people's eyes, they're heroes. They serve the people by uncovering and revealing injustice, dishonesty, and wrongdoing. While that is a good thing, especially for the American public, it often means that we lose faith in our elected officials. The concept and threat of a whistleblower hold them to higher standards and keeps the public informed so that we can help to hold them to those standards. Some of history's most famous whistleblowers include Mark...

Social media, over the past few years, has spread like wildfire. There are more social media apps than we know what to do with and more ways to connect with others than we can count. The platform that seems to be steadily at the top of the social media game, however, is Instagram. Using Everett Rogers' theory of Diffusion of Innovations, it's possible to take a closer look at why Instagram is the powerhouse it is. Facebook was the first platform to really make it easy for communities to connect online. Instagram allowed for similar features but, since being taken over by Facebook, they've come to allow many more communication features. Instagram allows people to follow others and post pictures of what's going on in their lives. The pictures make more of a statement than a status update and it really sets Instagram apart. It's gotten so popular because of its ability to connect others from halfway around the world and its ability to inspire creativity. The younge...

In order to find out more about myself and what exactly strangers could find out about me, I did the same thing I would do for any other subject: I Googled it. After googling my name, I realized I may need to adjust some of my social media privacy settings. Being a Communications major interested in working in the world of social media, I have many personal accounts. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, Wattpad, and Twitter take up a good deal of my time, not only because I post to my own feeds, but because I manage third-party accounts as well. After my Google search, I realized there's a mix of public information and information I've put out there myself. We've got the basics like who my parents are, my sister's name, and my hometown, and then, due to social media, we delve a bit deeper. I'm a resident assistant at HPU, I'm a sister of Phi Mu Fraternity, my middle name is Kay, and Bennett Harris took my senior pictures in high school...

Discovery of Truth Participation in Self-Government Stable Change Individual Self-Fulfillment Check on Governmental Power Promote Tolerance Promote Innovation Protect Dissent The eight values of freedom of expression, which can be seen above, are what keep the government and our First Amendment functioning as they were intended to function. I could back any of these up and give you reasons why all of them are important but after speaking to a friend in my class, I've identified two of them that really speak to me.  #5 - Check on Governmental Power We all know that the three branches of government exist to be able to balance each other out and call each other to the carpet when things aren't looking so great. What we tend to forget, though, is that the press and every citizen have the same job. It's our right as defined by the Bill of Rights and our duty as an American citizen to do our part to watch what's going on in government and speak out. Politi...

The prestige of the Supreme Court wasn't always what we think of it as today. In years past, The Supreme Court has had its ups and downs but two major ideologies have the court have emerged. The Court usually practices either judicial restraint or judicial activism. I've tried to think about which mentality of the Supreme Court I would prefer. On one hand, the Supreme Court could practice judicial restraint and be conservative with their judicial review resulting in slow or no change. On the other hand, it could practice judicial activism and liberal use of judicial review resulting in rapid or sweeping change. This would mean an increase in court decision strike downs and overturned precedents. After some thought, I think judicial activism is the way to go. I've grown up watching a very judicially active court and I think change is necessary to push this country forward, especially when we see wrong being done or this country's ideals not being upheld. Under th...