No Such Thing As ‘Absolute’ Free Speech
INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed David Dozier who is a leading media authority.
In his hostile takeover of Twitter, billionaire Elon Musk describes himself as a free speech “absolutist.” America enshrined freedom of speech in the First Amendment. However, we do not treat free speech as absolute. The U.S. Constitution does not protect libel, slander, sedition, incitement and “fighting words.” When editing letters to the editor and online comments, legacy media adds additional constraints. The challenge for Twitter and social media is reducing online bullying and other forms of infantilism (childish behavior in adults, like racist and sexist comments). Currently, Twitter has moderation rules that address safety, privacy, and authenticity. These have evolved over time. Are they excessive, as Musk seems to think? One way to reduce online bullying and infantilism is to ban anonymous accounts/posts. However, requiring users to identify themselves with real names will exert a chilling effect on the robust debate. Musk seems to want to “authenticate” people on Twitter while preserving “anonymity.” If Twitter knows who you are, authoritarian and democratic governments alike will demand access. The devil is in the details. See DavidDozierBooks.com.
The Price of Business is one of the longest running shows of its kind in the country and is in markets coast to coast. The Host, Kevin Price, is a multi-award winning author, broadcast journalist, and syndicated columnist. He is Editor at Large for this site. Learn more about the show and its digital partners at www.PriceofBusiness.com.
David Dozier (DavidDozierBooks.com) is the author of the novel, The California Killing Field. He is a professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies, San Diego State University. He’s an internationally recognized expert on communication management and public relations.
According to USA Business Radio, “David Dozier is a scholar of public relations and communication management, professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University, and author of The California Killing Field. He says fake news has become a phenomenon, political campaigns use the tactic to influence voters, and that it’s perplexing that a conspiracy-based group such as QAnon has gained national attention.
Kevin Price and David Dozier are doing a multi-part series on this important topic that will be on many different platforms, as well as on radio. Keep an eye out for the series throughout the Price of Business Digital Network and USA Business Radio.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE
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