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.