8 Values of Free Expression

 I felt very distant when I first started learning about the First Amendment, like something that just existed in history books not in everyday life. But after going through the Eight Values of Free Expression, I have learned that these ideas aren't just historical theories. They elaborate on what is happening right now in the world we are living in. The two values that stand out to me the most are Marketplace of Ideas and Check on Government Power. I notice them both regularly within social media, new, and even political debates. 

Check on Government power is the value that resonates with me the most. Being able to hold our leaders accountable and to check on them is what democracy is based on. If people weren't allowed to have an opinion on policies and speak up about corruption the government would be able to continue operating without consequences. For example, when reporters become aware of government misconduct or questionable decisions they use freedom of press to protect democracy. 

Social media has allowed this to expand even more. Today anyone and everyone could record an event then share that information leading more people to speak out instantly. News spreads in real time. This instantly increases awareness which then allows other people to respond immediately

While social media can help check government power there is just as much chance that it can spread untrue misleading information. A 10 second video without any context can create a public opinion before any real information is known. Aggressive content is known to spread way faster then careful reporting. So even though free expression can hold leaders accountable the way digital communication can spread so rapidly it can create many new problems. 

Marketplace of ideas theory suggests that when everyone is free to express their opinions, the truth will eventually come out. Open discussion, debate, and disagreement are supposed to lead to better understanding. When you first think about it social media is a prime example of this theory. Apps like Instagram, TikTok, and X let millions of people to express their opinions and thoughts while being able to respond to each other in a matter of seconds. Personally when I think about it more I don't know if the marketplace is completely fair. There are Algorithms that control what appears on our feeds.  During things like COVID-19 and recent elections, things that effect a large group of people misinformation tends to spready rapidly online. This doesn't mean that the Marketplace of Ideas is a fail in a whole. Yes, misinformation can spread but without that we wouldn't have the freedom that allows experts and journalists to challenge it in the public eye. 

These values feel personal to me because I experience them every day. Almost every piece of news and political information I consume, I see online. The talk about misinformation and content moderation all align with freedom of expression in some way shape or form. The first Amendment was mainly about keeping the government from controlling what people say. Today, a lot of our public conversations happen on platforms that are private like social media. So many questions are coming up like should these companies control false information? Or when does removing certain content become censorship? Its a difficult balance between when does stopping harm turn into not letting people talk freely. 

For me, check on Government powers feels the most important because it helps protect democracy. At the same time, the Marketplace of Ideas is the part I see the most in my day to day life. Both of these ideas show that free expression isn't something in the past it still plays a roll in how we communicate today. 

The fact people are still arguing about how it should work shows just how important it really is.