Free Speech
Examining the limits and values of free speech in a variety of forms
My Murder, Your Entertainment
May 15, 2023
It’s no secret that true crime media, whether in podcast or film format, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. True crime is popular for reasons other than entertainment, as…...
Cancel Culture in Journalism?
February 20, 2023
2020 and 2021 were years marked by the concept of “cancelling.” To cancel someone or something means to stop supporting that person, business, or organization. It could also mean using…...
With Great Fame Comes Great Responsibility?
February 13, 2023
TikTok Influencers have a lot of power. Should they use it in ethical ways?...
Imperfections or Revealing Mistakes on Twitter?
November 30, 2022
What ethical concerns arise when Twitter users can edit their tweets?...
Can Journalists also be Activists?
October 31, 2022
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests?...
Newsworthy Expression or Tragic Tea?
October 18, 2022
What happens when YouTube drama channels switch from influencer gossip to serious tragedies?...
Is Coordinated Political Activity on Social Media ...
October 13, 2022
Are coordinated political campaigns ethical?...
The Ethics of TikTok Trends
September 15, 2022
When do popular TikTok trends become unethical?...
Historical Accuracy in Entertainment Media
August 10, 2022
How accurate do historical dramas like "The Crown" need to be?...
Defamation, Copyright, and Journalism in India
January 26, 2022
Should news organizations in India sue other sites who use their content to criticize it?...
Democratizing the Best or Enabling the Worst?
January 13, 2022
Is Amazon's easy self-publishing good or bad for democracy?...
A Tool for Racial Equality or Cancel Culture?
April 26, 2021
Should Yelp be in the business of branding businesses as racist?...
Stopping the Spread of Anti-Vax Memes
February 8, 2021
Should platforms censor anti-vaccination memes to help end the pandemic?...
Newsroom Objectivity in the Age of Black Lives Mat...
January 20, 2021
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests?...
The Ethics of Op-Eds
December 29, 2020
Should newspapers run controversial or offensive op-ed pieces?...
TikTok, Time to Snitch
October 21, 2020
Is it ethical to use TikTok to shame fellow college students who violate COVID-19 guidelines?...
Quelling Interference or Dissent?
October 20, 2020
Did Tumblr's purge of Russian misinformation accounts go too far?...
Putting the President in Check
October 13, 2020
Is Twitter's decision to add a factcheck to Trump's voter fraud tweet a good thing?...
Sex, Drugs, and Hijabs on Netflix
September 21, 2020
Is Netflix's "Elite" a case of creative filmmaking or Muslim stereotyping?...
Gaming Platforms and Shocking Speech
September 14, 2020
When the gaming platform Twitch wants to police the speech of its users, what could go wrong?...
Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder
August 17, 2020
What ethical worries accompany Jay-Z's attempt to document injustices in the American prison system?...
Doxing in the Name of Public Health
July 6, 2020
Is it ethical to name and shame those that violate travel precautions in the COVID-19 pandemic?...
Fighting (Online) Fire with Fire?
June 22, 2020
What are the ethics of using counterspeech to fight online harassment?...
Politics in the Age of Digital Information Overloa...
May 21, 2020
What are the ethics of Facebook allowing potentially misleading political ads?...
Written In Only to Be Excluded?
May 11, 2020
What are the ethics of screenwriting and diversity in hits like "Game of Thrones?"...
Are there Bigger Fish to Fry in the Struggle for A...
April 13, 2020
Is PETA right that our anti-animal sayings do more harm than good?...
The Different Species of the Online Catfish
March 24, 2020
What ethical complexities circle around catfishing and online deception?...
Actors Playing Protestors in Real Life
March 19, 2020
What are the ethics of Bollywood celebrities joining popular protest movements--and the calls to "cancel" their careers?...
Dramatization or Falsification?
February 17, 2020
How far can films about journalists push the truth for dramatic effects?...
Beer Cans and Cancel Culture
February 5, 2020
What are the ethical challenges when journalism and cancel culture merge?...
Greta Thunberg and Her Harsh Critics
January 30, 2020
What are the ethics of criticizing young political activists like Greta Thunberg?...
Reality TV and Real Ethics
December 6, 2019
For those who don’t tune into reality TV, a compelling new series has been attracting attention and provoking debate about the ethics of televised relationships. The hit series, Love Island,…...
Green is the New Color of Money
April 30, 2019
What are the ethical concerns with "greenwashing" in advertisements to sell products?...
Limiting or Lifesaving?
April 9, 2019
Are there any ethical problems with banning anti-vaccination content from social media platforms?...
Halloween Hijinks and Internet Shaming
April 3, 2019
What ethical decisions await those dressing up for Halloween--and those reacting to racially insensitive costumes?...
The Ethics of Computer-Generated Actors
February 13, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when filmmakers use CGI to resurrect dead actors?...
When Does Artistic Creativity Become the Exploitat...
January 22, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when a prominent photographic artist uses her children in her work?...
“One Does Not Simply Create a Meme”
January 14, 2019
When does the creation and sharing of internet memes go too far?...
“Some of My Best Friends are Internet Vigilantes”
December 5, 2018
What are the ethical issues that arise with naming and shaming racists online?...
When Actors Become Characters
November 26, 2018
What are the ethics of fictional works created by fans that involve real people as characters?...
Filtering Out Cyberbullying
November 23, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Instagram's efforts to filter out cyberbullying?...
To Catfish or Not to Catfish?
November 15, 2018
What are the ethical problems with "catfishing" online?...
Values Preserved in Stone
November 7, 2018
What are the ethical issues surrounding Confederate memorials?...
Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before
October 31, 2018
When does fan fiction cross the line from inspired creativity to unethical stealing?...
AI and Online Hate Speech
September 25, 2018
Can AI save us from online hate speech? Or will it learn our worst traits?...
#MeToo and the Arts
July 18, 2018
What happens when the #MeToo movement meets the artworld?...
When Comedic Stereotypes Cease to Be Funny
July 8, 2018
Do humorous - but stereotypical - characters like Apu from "The Simpsons" cross ethical lines?...
Finsta Fad
April 30, 2018
What are the real ethical issues raised by fake Instagram accounts?...
Anonymity, Doxing, and the Ethics of Reddit
April 4, 2018
What ethical issues are created in Reddit's attempts to clean up its act?...
Fake News, Fake Porn, and AI
March 29, 2018
What are the ethical issues involved in the use of AI in creating fake video content?...
Bullying our First Amendment?
March 19, 2018
What are the legal and ethical implications of bullying by text message?...
Free Speech and the Ethics of Protest
March 14, 2018
What are the ethics of free speech and controversial protests?...