Civil Law Essay: News, Propaganda and Media Freedom Analysis

This essay addresses the complexities of differentiating between real news and propaganda, particularly in the context of media freedom and its impact on societal understanding. It explores how governments manipulate online content to distort public discourse, leading to increased threats to human rights. The essay references 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to highlight themes of injustice and how propaganda can shape perceptions. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of 'independent media,' the role of 'opinion shapers,' and the proliferation of false information. The essay examines the factors contributing to the decline of internet freedom and the importance of protecting freedom of speech. It concludes by emphasizing the critical need for citizens to critically evaluate information sources and the role of media freedom in fostering an informed understanding of events, which is crucial for national discussion and societal well-being.

RUNNING HEAD: CIVIL LAW 0
CIVIL LAW
LAW
7/26/2019

CIVIL LAW 1
The world’s governments have attempted their utmost to manipulate social media data. They
tend to use tricks to distort online issues and discussions in order to use it in their own favour.
The manipulation of content online affected the internet services which leads to major threat
and increase in attacks on human rights1. The phrase ‘independent media’ has come with pros
and cons. The advantage could be seen in terms of awareness of social issues, transparency
and coverage areas. The loopholes can cause disasters in the country like exploitation and
manipulation of real news and lead to riots and political rallies. A quarter of customers
reside in places where the internet is unrestricted i.e. there no obstacle faced by the people
residing in those areas to access the internet, no restrictions faced on the contents posted and
no serious violations for unjust speech. The book referred is ‘To kill a Mocking Bird’ by the
author H. Lee. This paper highlights the difference of real news and propaganda and the
freedom of media to conclude the facts and in-depth knowledge of events.
There have been employed ‘opinion shapers’ to spread what government wants to form their
opinions of citizens. It is also done in order to compliance of agendas and motives of
government. It actually tracks and controls the discussions online. In recent years, the practise
has developed much more prevalent and technically cultured, with bots, publicity producers
and bogus news openings using communal media and examines algorithms to safeguard high
reflectivity and seamless combination with reliable content.
There is an alarming need to identify and understand individuals ‘why false data is
flourishing online, how to acknowledge false news, propaganda and internet views, how to
distinguish real news from false news, how to prevent spreading false data.
Everyone has undoubtedly seen the headlines, news, stories and links to web pages that make
allegations that are not right. It is about specified politicians conducts or facts of some alleged
1 Paul Lendvai, ‘The bureaucracy of truth: How communist governments manage the news’ (2019) ‘Westview
Press’

CIVIL LAW 2
new law, or even some wild claim that echoes more like a philosophy of conspiracy than
headline news. Chances are that it is not factual what you see. It’s what some individuals call
‘false news’, a lot of defamations and hoaxes are fooling the audience into believing the
incredible2. If people will not be cautious the recent round of falsehoods on Facebook, twitter,
and other social media can duplicate. People have always spread lies and propaganda. It’s just
that today this kind of thing is spreading quicker. It is used to be this kind of misinformation
spread by word of mouth; a friend would inform another friend about it, something that was
intended to happen, then that friend would tell someone else. It has to be understood that
rumours do not take time to collapse and create their own way. The risk is that the powerful
and upper classes see journalism as too tabloid and populist, while working- class individuals
believe that it pays little attention to individuals like themselves and their lives- and no one is
pleased. TV is regarded less manipulative than internet media, because on the spot live
images and journalists offer consumers confidence that what they see is true3.
To kill a Mockingbird is the tale of a young girl named Scout whose dad is a lawyer
defending a black guy accused of molesting a white woman who was unable to commit the
crime physically4. To kill a Mockingbird in the twentieth century is probably America’s most
widely read book on race, and its central character, Atticus Finch, is the most lasting fictional
image of racial heroism5. The books has a theme for people who are helpless and don’t do
harm are mocked and picked and how racial injustice is faced by few people. It shows the
coexistence of good and evil, prejudice and hatred. It put light on the scenario how fake news
can change the truth of the case and how people tend to believe what they hear and not what
2 Andrea Ceron, ‘Internet, news, and political trust: The difference between social media and online media
outlets’ (Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 2015)
3Erik P Bucy and John E. Newhagen, ‘Fake News Finds an Audience’ (Journalism and Truth in an Age of
Social Media 2019).
4 Ashleigh Johnson, ‘Racism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird’ (J.B. Lippincott & Co.).
5 Luiza Pitrez Gressler, ‘It’s time you started being a girl’ (To kill a mockingbird, a female bildungsroman
2019).

CIVIL LAW 3
are the real facts. It reflects the propaganda by the upper class people in the book as they
adjudged the low class man of rape, though the culprit was girl’s own father.
There are key tendencies that have funded to world-wide drop in internet sovereignty as per
Freedom on the Net 20176. It includes state censors target on mobile connectivity as
governments are shutting down mobile internet services for party-political or safety motives.
The government have restricted live videos streamlining and broadcasting abuse. There has
been increase in technical outbreaks against new openings, oppositions, and right guards on
the rise. There has also been introduction of VPNs restrictions. There have also instances
where people have been murdered for their online expression.
Under the constitution and global agreements to which any country is a party, freedom of
speech is protected. Through journals, television and the internet, including social media,
politicians, pundits, activists and the general public participate in vigorous discussion.
Successive governments have committed to protect liberty of speech. However, domestic and
state- level governments do not always share these principles, pass legislation, and take
severe measures to criminalize peaceful expression. To silent dissent, the state utilizes
draconian legislation such as the penal code’s sedition clauses, criminal defamation law, and
hate speech legislation. These regulations are vague, overly wide ranging and susceptible to
misuse.
Too often, interests groups are offended by a certain book, movie or work of art for
politically motivated purposes. Subsequently, the authorities justify constraints on speech as
needed to safeguard public order, citing the hazards of violent protest and community
violence. While there are situations where speech can lead to abuse and incite violence an
6 Cabañes, Jason, C. W. Anderson, Jonathan Corpus Ong, H. Tumber, and S. Waisbord, ‘Fake news and
scandal’ (The Routledge Companion to Media and Scandal 2019)

CIVIL LAW 4
result in legal action, too often the authorities, especially at the government level, misuse or
enable the misuse of criminal law as a means of defencing critical or minority voices7.
In brief, it can be understood the difference between real news and propaganda is an
important element of every society and to identify which side is fair is where the judgement
lies. The freedom of media is also an effective combination as it helps in forming an opinion
of what is happening in surrounding. It lays emphasis on informed understanding of events
which leads to a national discussion. It is heart-breaking to see politicians using the news as
method to fulfil their wishes and interests.
7 Tsui, Lokman, and Francis Lee,How “journalists understand the threats and opportunities of new technologies:
A study of security mind-sets and its implications for press freedom” ( Journalism 2019).

CIVIL LAW 5
Bibliography
Secondary Sources
Books
Johnson A., Racism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (J.B. Lippincott & Co. 2019)
Lendvai P., The bureaucracy of truth: How communist governments manage the news
(Westview Press 2019)
Journals
Ceron A., ‘Internet, news, and political trust: The difference between social media and online
media outlets’ (2015) Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 487-503
Dwyer T, and Fiona M., ‘Understanding Viral News Sharing’ (2019) In Sharing News Online
257-283
Jason C., Anderson C. W., Ong Jonathan C, Tumber H., and Waisbord S., ‘Fake news and
scandal’ (2019) The Routledge Companion to Media and Scandal 115-125
Pitrez G. L., ‘It’s time you started being a girl’ (2019) To kill a mockingbird, a female
bildungsroman 105
Tsui, L., and Francis L, ‘How journalists understand the threats and opportunities of new
technologies: A study of security mind-sets and its implications for press freedom’ (2019)
Literary Cultures 205
P. Bucy Erik and E. Newhagen J., ‘Fake News Finds an Audience’ (2015) Journalism and
Truth in an Age of Social Media

CIVIL LAW 6