EOTO: The History of Television

 In almost every American home, you can find the same things- refrigerators, beds, and in most homes, a television. Television has become a part of every day 21st century life in the US. Almost every family has one in their living room or bedroom. But how did this invention become so popular? And where did it come from? In order to dive into TV history, we have to start at the beginning, at its creation. 

The very first electronic television was created in 1927 by Philo Taylor Farnsworth, who was just 21. He took the mechanical television, which was just short image clips on a screen, and turned it into something entirely new. After tweaking and fixing for a few years American electronic television sets were produced and released commercially in 1938. Different than mechanical televisions, electronic televisions are what we use today. In an article by Be Businessed, they explain the inner workings of the TV. "To control the firing of electrons, CRTs use two 'steering coils'. Both steering coils use the power of magnets to push the electron beam to the desired location on the screen. One steering coil pushes the electrons up or down, while the other pushes them left or right." This is what differentiates the electronic television from the mechanical. 

After its release, electronic televisions started to take off. They became very popular. By 1955, the first wireless remote was released to turn the TV on and off or change the channel. Soon, colored television was introduced. Though CBS’s first colored TV program ran in 1951, it wasn’t until 1966 that CBS had taken the lead to bring colored films and programming to all television. By 1993, 98% of American households owned a TV. In 2005, flat screens were introduced, which leads us to 2021. In the current age, most Americans own a colored, flat screen electronic television with a functioning remote.

But what makes the TV so special? Why does everyone have one? For starters, People can now get information quicker. Through broadcast journalism, any current event you should know about is accessible on television. Also, entertainment is a lot more accessible. Any time someone's bored, all they have to do is switch on the TV and flip through channels. Its never been easier to waste time. This is why the television became so popular so fast.

America has been able to witness historical moments through the comfort of their own home due to television. For example, the moon landing was broadcasted in 1969. In 1981, the royal wedding was played, and in 2012, the London Olympics were broadcasted. People have been able to watch the most influential events from their couch all because of this invention. This is why a century after its creation, the television is still relevant and popular.

Censorship and the First Amendment

 In January of 2021, Twitter shocked the world by banning the current US President, Donald Trump, from its platform. This move was made shortly after the January Capitol riots, when hoards of people stormed the US Capitol in protest of Bidens election win. Many people believed this to be incited by Trump, which is why Twitter banned him. In an official statement, Twitter said they banned Trump “due to the risk of further incitement of violence” after going through his tweets. This incident has sparked even more controversy this year on a long debated topic- should there be more or less censorship in the media? As US citizens, do we have a right to voice our opinions on social media sites, no matter how controversial they may be?

In this debate on censorship, many bring up a specific clause listed in the First Amendment- freedom of speech. In an interview with Forbes, author Lon Safto states "Any form of censorship, any form, is unacceptable. Social platform such as Facebook, whose primary business is open communication between its over 2.7 billion members, have a moral and legal responsibility to allow those conversations to transpire, organically." However, do these social platforms have a legal duty to allow any type of speech on their platform? Or are they able to pick and choose what type of content users produce on their sites?

It is true that in the Constitution, your free speech is protected. However, free speech is protected from the government, not from privately owned companies. Twitter is a private company, which means the First Amendment rule does not apply here. This means that Twitter and other privately owned companies have no legal obligation to keep Trump on their platforms. In an article from the Washington Post, journalist Amber Phillips states "The First Amendment was designed to prevent Congress or the states from blocking people’s freedom to express themselves. In fact, you could argue that it protects the right of a company such as Twitter to decide for itself what content to allow." Phillips brings up the point that the First Amendment not only cannot be used against Twitter, it may actually be an aide to those trying to get Twitter shut down.

The First Amendment does not condone government intervention in free speech. However, no where in the Constitution does it state that a privately owned company is prohibited from determining what type of content is produced via their platform. Because of this, Twitter, and any other social media site, is in the clear when it comes to barring users from their platforms, regardless of who they are. 

Supreme Court History

The Supreme Court has long been a crucial part of the US government. Formed in 1789, its been around just about as long as the country has. After reading the Supreme Court article from the History Channel, I discovered that although the Supreme Court was founded in 1789, its first case wasn't decided until two years later in 1791. Something new I learned was that the first Chief Justice was John Jay, who was also a contributor to the Federalist Papers along with founding fathers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. Something surprising I learned was that the Chief Justice presides over the impeachment trials. I didn't know they play such a major part in our country history.

The importance of the Supreme Court in our country was my biggest takeaway from this article. These handfuls of people throughout the years have made some of the biggest decisions in law making. They've decided very important cases, from Plessy v Ferguson, to US v Nixon, to Roe v Wade. They've decided on all issues such as race, abortion, gender, and sexuality. After learning more about the Supreme Court, I now look at them a little bit differently. I don't think I ever truly appreciated the weight of what they do. I won't take there work lightly from now on. 

The Values of Free Expression

There are eight values of free expression- marketplace of ideas, participation in self-government, stable change, individual self fulfillment, check on governmental power, promote tolerance, promote innovation, and protect dissent. All of these values have their own place, but I believe some hold more importance than others. For example, I think the value that holds the most importance at this time in our country's history is number five, the check on governmental power. This specific value is also referred to as the "watchdog role", because the people using this value are on the watch for abuse of power coming from the government. This freedom enables citizens to learn about wrongdoings in government through the power of the press. This specific value informs the citizens, who then can do what they want with the information, whether that be through protesting, voting, or otherwise. 

The main watchdogs in America are the press. Thought our country's history, the press have been movers and shakers in the government. The press can influence the course of our nations history by using their freedom of speech to call out the government when they see fit. We see this in instances like Watergate, with Nixon, and with Clintons impeachment, and the reveal of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The press is what controls the narrative in America's history. Without the ability to freely call out the government, we would live in a very different country.

The freedom of the press to call out the governments misdeeds helps us keep the balance of power in check. In an article from usembassy.gov with Richard Lui, they state "freedom of the press is an essential right in the United States and a core principle of democracy. Protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a free press helps maintain the balance of power in government." This value is an important backbone in our country because it helps us maintain our democracy. One of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, told John Jay in 1786 that “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” Even our founding fathers were aware of the importance of the check on governmental power, which is a value that is just as important today. 

In short, the "watchdog" role is essential to our government. It maintains balance, which is one of the key aspects of democracy. While the other seven values of free expression all have their own levels of importance, I feel this one is a bit different from the rest. Without this value, America wouldn't be the free country it is today. 

My Top Five Sources of News and Information

With modern technology, access to news and information is just about limitless. At the touch of a button, the average citizen can get hundreds of different sources, all reporting the same event. With the abundance of news and information outlets, its hard to find some to rely on. Most importantly, is it accurate? News today can be so biased, particularly when it comes to anything political. Its crucial to find sources without too much personal slant to it so you can form your own opinion on it. These are my five favorite sources to go to when looking for news and information I can trust. 

1. Snopes

One of my favorite websites to use is called snopes.com . In times of the fake news craze, this website fact checks news articles. It is very helpful because not only does it tell you what information is incorrect, but it also provides you with the correct information as well. I was recommended this source by a professor last semester, and it is now one of my go-to's. This is a good source to go to if you're in need of accurate, straightforward information. If I hear a story from a source that sounds to be a little biased, I'll usually go to Snopes to find the real version of what happened. 

2. Social Media

Social media can be a dangerous place to get information if you're not careful. However, its very accessible for most people. I mostly use social media initially as a way to inform myself about what is going on in the world. Most of the time, I find out about current events through sites like Instagram and Twitter. This is also where I find things that interest me, like Broadway updates or celebrity gossip. However, when the topic is more serious such as politics, I’ll usually follow up by confirming what I’ve heard through other news sources.

3. Forbes

I like to use Forbes to get news that isn't too slanted. I find that Forbes typically doesn't have too much of a bias in their reporting, and their information is usually quite accurate. I try to stay away from sources like CNN and Fox due to their political slants, and I feel like Forbes is a happy medium between the two. Its easy to use Forbes as a backup source after finding out news and information from places that are biased, such as CNN and Fox, or after getting information from places that might not be the most accurate, such as Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

4. New York Times

The New York Times is a widely respected and well known source of news and information. When looking for current events, I typically head other news sources. However, I've found the New York Times is a great source for finding researched based information that is both accurate and accessible. They're a wealth of information on all sorts of topics, which is convenient when researching for something school related. I'm also a big reader, so I often head to the New York Times Bestsellers List when Im out of good books to read.

5. Apple News

A news source that often grabs my attention is Apple News. Often times, I'll be mindlessly scrolling through my phone when I get a notification from Apple News at the top of my screen. Sometimes, when the headline is eye-catching, I cant help but click on it and read the story. Usually though, the articles I read on Apple News have less to do with serious events or politics, but are more opinion pieces or fluff pieces that are more lighthearted. If I were to read something important on Apple News, I'd follow up on the story with a more reputable source such as Forbes, but its nice to browse around the app from time to time.

For me, its important to use sources that you trust when looking for information about politics and serious topics, such as Snopes or Forbes. If you're getting crucial news from biased and slanted sources, how will you ever form your own opinion on it? However, when it comes to more lighthearted things, such as celebrity gossip, fluff stories, opinion pieces, and the like, I think its okay to get your information from places like Apple News and social media. Its all about finding the right balance.