Blog Post week 11

Speech Theories and the Eight Values of Expression

There are eight values of expression which shape the American's freedom of speech and ability to operate in our society. These eight values of expressions are 1) the marketplace of ideas 

2) participation in self government 3) stable change 4) individual self fulfillment 5) check on governmental power 6) promote tolerance 7) promote innovation 8) protect dissent. These values of expression are what set Americans apart from other societies across the world. Many other citizens of differing nations do not have the individual rights us Americans have. Each and every one of these values of expression allow us Americans to live freely and play our role in the government.While these eight theories are crucial to the American people, I believe the theory "check on governmental power" is at utmost importance in today's world.

Checking on governmental power is given by the freedom of the press, which enables both citizens and the press to learn about abuses of power within the government, and be able to investigate or dig deeper. The press is granted the ability to investigate any instance of which a government official may be abusing their power. The press is is then allow to freely report on this instance and dig deeper or investigate to bring the truth to light. In doing so, the public becomes aware of the actions of the people in stronger political positions and know what is going on in their government. The public is able to ingest this information from the press and we have the ability to make our own decisions on the matter through voting. With the press and American people constantly checking on governmental powers, the general public is able to be aware of what is going on in the government and if anyone in power is taking more than is allocated to them.

Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, or don't care for political parties, you are probably aware of much of the hype around the Presidential election of 2016. Within this most recent election, you can find a clear example of when the press learned about a potential abuse of power from a candidate and did their job bringing the issue to light. During her time as United State Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton drew attention from the media and public for using a private email server rather than using her official state department email account. This lead to the transfer of classified information over her personal server, which many interpreted as an abuse of power. It could easily be said that this controversy led voters in the 2016 election to oppose her. By checking on governmental power and freely reporting on potential abuses, the press serves the American people and is a crucial asset to our society.

sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/nbc-news-wsj-poll-hillary-clinton-email-scandal-taking-a-toll-726820419780; https://freedom.press/news/expanding-us-press-freedom-tracker-two-years-after-launch/; https://qns.com/story/2017/02/03/the-people-and-the-press-must-check-governments-power/