MCOM 4003 - Abby Johnson

 Exploiting Tragedies in the Main Media      By definition, exploiting means “to make full use of and derive benefit from”. Exploitation can happen in many different ways and in many different situations. It is not uncommon to now see exploitation take place all over society, especially in American media. Now, especially following an extremely chaotic and stressful election year, it seems like politics can often take the forefront of the media. Sometimes, these political opinions and ideologies end up gaining more coverage than serious issues and tragedies taking place around the country.       While doing research for this topic, I actually found a rather recent example of a political figure exploiting a tragedy for their own benefit. On Monday, March 22, 2021, a mass shooting took place in Boulder, Colorado in a grocery store. In this horrible situation, 10 people were shot dead by one man and a suspect was arrested for the crime. Reading and h...

  Copyright and Fair Use in Social Media      If you are anything like me, the first thing you might think of when you hear copyright is an invention or some type of media such as a song or movie. Rarely do I ever think of social media having a role in the conversation of copyright and fair use. As social media has become a thriving place for anyone to put their thoughts where the world can see them, it can be hard to distinguish exactly what you can share without breaking any copyright laws. Even though all social media sites come with their own terms and conditions, most people skip over reading that document and just click "I accept". So, what exactly is in those terms and conditions that tell users when and how they can use other people's information and content?      The official definition of copyright is the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical mat...

  The Future of Reporter's Privilege     Reporter's privilege is something that has protected journalists for years and has given them room to write the stories that need to be written. The basic idea behind reporter's privilege is that journalist's have a right, based on the first amendment, to not be forced to reveal confidential sources or information in court. Often times, journalists rely on confidential sources in order to write important pieces for the public and it can be risky to reveal those sources in a court of law. This protection allows reporters to write stories of public importance and keep their sources confidential.      While most states have shield laws or recognize this privilege to some degree, only two states has absolutely zero shield laws and do not recognize the protection: Wyoming and Hawaii. Hawaii has previously had a shield law but it expired in 2013 and has not been renewed since. However, things are starting to look up for W...