![]() When they censor content, because of public demand, or market or government pressure, it has a chilling effect on free speech." We treat these spaces like the public commons, while, in fact, they are private companies run by unelected sovereigns. York wrote in 2013 New York Times article, "Nevertheless, as such services become more ubiquitous (more than 1 billion people use Facebook, making it nearly as populous as China), their role as arbiters of speech becomes increasingly complex. Multi-national electronic information companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and many others have worldwide ability to control access to speech.Īs Jillian C. Therein lies one of the biggest challenges to free speech. Instead of a few newspapers in each city, we have over 300 million potential reporters in the United States and billions globally. ![]() Every person with a phone, computer and social media account has the ability to stand in the shoes of the Fourth Estate. In 2017, the term "press" has become far more difficult to define. This concept, which has been around for centuries, in its purest form is commonly referred to as the Fourth Estate. An author was duty-bound to accurately gather information, analyze it and then (hopefully) fairly present it to the public. In 1791, when the First Amendment was adopted, the press consisted of the dissemination of the written word in newspapers, magazines and books. ![]() Those same rights, however, do not apply to private entities, including the press. But what are the rights and obligations of non-governmental entities? In large part, the First Amendment was enacted to empower and protect the rights of citizens to disseminate information, especially that which is not favorable to the government, without fear of reprisal or punishment. ![]()
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