Thank You for Smoking Reflection

     Thank You for Smoking is a 2005 satirical comedy directed by Jason Reitman and staring A-list actors such as Aaron Eckhart, JK Simmons, and William H. Macy. The film stars Eckhart as Nick Naylor, a cigarette salesman who goes on a "world tour" defending cigarettes and debating with high level critics, with the biggest critic being U.S senator Ortolan Finistirre, played by Macy, who is trying to change cigarette branding into a skull and crossbones, with the word POISON brandished across it.

    The movie comes to a head when Naylor is kidnapped by masked assailants, who make him "overdose on Nicotine," and despite what you would think, doesn't deter Naylor, who still goes on to debate Finistirre, who looks and sounds flummoxed on the podium while Naylor stays calm, cool, and collected. This causes B.R (Naylor's boss, played by JK Simmons), to offer him his job back, which he lost due to bad PR. Naylor eventually refuses, and inspired by his son, ends up opening his own lobbying firm, where he can hone in on his true talent... talking.

    Naylor is a fantastic example on how propaganda can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, as even though he knows it's wrong to push something that's clearly harmful onto people, he does it anyway to fuel his desires. He becomes so far gone that even when Nicotine almost KILLS him, he still tries his hardest to defend the cigarettes. 

    Just like how Naylor uses propaganda as a weapon, he also has another ace up his sleeve... that being his charisma. Like he says at the end of the movie, he's an extremely talented talker, and with the combination of this skill with again, the shameless propaganda, it's hard to not side with our flawed protagonist, especially if we were in the shoes of the people in this fictional (albeit realistic) world.

    

    Theres a lot to be taken from Thank You for smoking, but nothing more poignant than how far are you willing to go to achieve fame and status. Despite being told off by many people (such as the senator and Lorne, the original Marlboro Man, played by Sam Elliott), Nick stays true to what he forces himself to believe, no matter how many people and families are hurt by his actions. 

    

The Illusion of Privacy

        Privacy has truly become a commodity in our world, and there are many different factors as to why we struggle to keep our information private and hidden. While different companies have tried to come up with certain fixes, there hasn't been 1 perfect way.

    It has been increasingly theorized that companies like google or meta have been stealing our data, and even if that is a case, these companies and websites have become essential to our everyday lives, and some can't live without them.

    While people have tried to find workarounds, like VPNs and blockers, websites usually add hidden cookies in order to take information from users, and this, while not specifically illegal, should be.

    This may scare some people off though, as with the already growing fear of AI, privacy is one thing people think are a lock in todays society, but this may never be the case.

    There can be some simple ways to try and avoid these breaches, like strong passwords or using only trusted sites, but even these ideas are not set and stone.

    In todays world, with paranoia at an all time high, we just have to try to be as safe as possible with our information, and remember that there's maybe just MAYBE a chance we're being watched, or our info is being stolen.

AI IN JOURNALISM

     In today's day and age of AI, jobs are starting to use it more and more, and its becoming a necessity to have skills regarding AI to get ahead in todays society, and in Journalism, the sentiment is no different. there are many different ways to go about it, however I think some areas of the job will be effected more than others.

    My main concern towards the actual LOSS of jobs comes in the Editing department, where while writing whole stories won't be a lost art due to Ai, it's becoming increasingly easier to edit stories with sites like Grammarly, and down the line these sites will becomes even more advanced, therefore taking the need for human interference out of editing

    However, its not all bad, as AI is not just a way of taking away peoples skillsets, it can also be used for mundane things, like sorting, organizing, and coming up with ideas incase someone is at a standstill.

    I don't agree with the use of AI in certain spots, however it can't be understated just how important its becoming in our world, and how it needs to be handled in a correct matter.

    So while AI is a massive detriment towards other certain jobs and people's securities, I think overall it will stand to help the journalism community, and help writers master their crafts and become the best version of themselves on the page.

Eight Values of Free Expression

 Eight Values of Free Expression

            While America has always had a strong base of politicians, the real mechanism of our government is the power of the people. While it can be seen as a privilege, I personally think self-government should be a right everywhere, and I feel as though it's the most important value of free expression. 

        We see self-government everywhere in our world today, especially in our country. Usually, peoples first experience participating in self-government comes at school, where student Government can be used as not only a way to help or a status symbol, but also a way for people to practice their right to vote and speak freely.

        Past early school, college and higher educations also have not only student government, but also organizations such as fraternities and sororities, which constantly vote on many different things, also making that a prime example of self-government.

        Even after education, workplaces and similar places have voting boards as well, once again giving their employees the ability to vote freely and speak their mind about certain topics. This is similar to our actual government, which goes by a similar formula.

        Self-government doesn't just mean voting though, as it also gives the rights to many different things, such as free speech and voting, a luxury that isn't given to all. 

        Even today, countries like North Korea and China don't give their citizens the right to self-govern, as these areas are mostly run by powerful families, such as the one that North Korean dictator Kim-Jong un belongs to.

        In these areas, the wrong word or photo could get you arrested, or worse. In America, you can say just about anything, good or bad, and not be punished or scrutinized. Hell, we're in an era where our President is a regular poster on socials, usually to make announcement or clown others.

        So overall, America is lucky to have the rights we do, and self-government is a key right towards free expression.

My Top 5 News Sources

BLOG POST 1: MY TOP 5 NEWS SOURCES

        

 As someone who usually likes to be in the know when it comes to many different mediums, I do see myself as someone who ingests a variety of news and information on a day-to-day basis. While I have used hundreds of different sources and sites to take in information, here are 5 that I'd say I visit the most frequently.

            1. ESPN

Despite me taking in news from all different mediums, my main expertise and knowledge comes in the sports department, where most important information can be found via ESPN, whether it's their network or their website. ESPN has been the leading source of sports content, usually being home to the biggest analysts and beat reporters, with names such as Adam Schefter and Jeff Passan being some of the highest volume producers of trending news, due to them being the first on many scoops in the sports world.

            2. Instagram

In the digital era, it has become incredibly to easily access all news through social media, and with most sources having an Instagram page as a resource, it is an incredibly valuable tool in receiving information, whether its full written stories on the app, or hyperlinks and video stories that help expose the viewer to more content through said source.

            3. TikTok

            Much like Instagram, TikTok has become a key source for media outlets as well as independent journalists to be able to push content out to the masses, with TikTok being far more video-based than Instagram. While TikTok is a solid source for news, I value Instagram higher due to TikTok being more prone to spreading misinformation, whereas Meta and Instagram warn before misinformation is spread on a wide-scale.

            4. Staten Island Advance/SIlive.com

While the first few sources are extremely helpful for bringing in widespread news in sports, politics, and everything in between, sometimes you just want to be in the know about your community, no matter how far away you are. For me, this is where the Staten Island Advance comes in, which is my source for all things going on at home, whether I'm there or here in High Point.

            5. X

X (formerly twitter) is a useful source, albeit a little niche for my needs when it comes to taking in news. Since its usually the first place to find a breaking scoop, with its helpful search bar and the sheer number of posts, it's pretty simple to use when looking for scoops in sports, and it's where all the big analysts and beat reporters do their dirty work.