Essay, Research Paper
Propaganda in the Online Free Speech Campaign
Propaganda and Mass Communication
July 1, 1996
In February 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into jurisprudence the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first alteration of our state & # 8217 ; s
communications Torahs in 62 old ages. This historic event has been greeted with
chiefly positive responses by most people and companies. Most of the
Telecommunications act sets out to transform the telecasting, telephone, and
related industries by take downing regulative barriers, and making jurisprudence that
corresponds with the current engineering of today and tomorrow. One portion of the
Telecommunications act, nevertheless, is designed to make regulative barriers
within computing machine webs, and this has non been greeted with admirable
commentary. This one portion is called the Communications Decency Act ( CDA ) , and
it has been challenged in tribunal from the minute it was passed into jurisprudence. Many of
the oppositions of the CDA have taken their messages to the Internet in order to
addition support for their cause, and a little figure of these organisations claim
this battle as their lone cause. Some of these
organisations are wide based civil autonomies groups, some battle for freedom of
address based on the first amendment, and other groups favor the lowering of Torahs
affecting the usage of encrypted informations on computing machines. All of these groups, nevertheless,
speak out for free address on the Internet, and all of these groups have utilized
the Internet to distribute propaganda to further this common cause of on-line free
address and resistance to the CDA.
Context in which the propaganda occurs
Five old ages ago, most people had ne’er heard of the Internet, but today the
Internet is a term familiar to most people even if they are non precisely certain
about what the Internet is. Along with the construct of the Internet, it is
widely known that erotica and other grownup related stuffs seem to be
readily available on the Internet, and this seems to be a job with most
people. Indeed, it does non take long for even a novice Internet user to seek
out big stuffs such as exposure, short films, text based narratives and
unrecorded treatments, confab suites, sexual adjutant advertizements, sound files, and even
unrecorded nude picture. The wholly fresh and sudden visual aspect of the widely
accessible Internet combined with the antecedently bing issues associated with
grownup stuffs has caused a great argument around the universe about what should be
done. The major concern is that kids will derive entree to stuffs that
should be reserved merely for grownups. Additionally, there is concern that the
Internet is being used for illegal activities such as kid erotica. In
response to the concerns of many people, the authorities enacted the
Communications Decency Act which attempts to restrict these jobs by specifying
what address is unacceptable online and puting guidelines for mulcts and
prosecution of people or concerns found guilty of interrupting this jurisprudence. While
the end of maintaining kids from deriving entree to erotica is a baronial 1
that few would dispute, the job is that the CDA has opened a can of worms
for the computing machine universe. Advocates of the CDA claim that the CDA is necessary
because the Internet is so immense that the authorities is needed to assist control the
interaction of grownup stuffs and kids. Oppositions of the CDA claim that
the diction of the CDA is so obscure that, for illustration, an on-line treatment of
abortion would be illegal under the new jurisprudence, and our first amendment rights
would hence be pulled out from under us. Oppositions besides argue that Internet
censoring should be done at place by parents, non by the authorities, and that
things such as kid erotica are illegal anyhow, so there is no demand to re-
province this in a new jurisprudence. At this point, the conflict lines have been drawn and
like everything else in society, everyone is headed into the courtroom to debate
it out. While this happens, the propagandists have set up store on the Internet.
In footings of a argument about the first amendment and the limitation of free
address, this current conflict is nil new. The argument over free address has
been traveling on for every bit long as people have been around, and in America many great
tribunal instances have been fought over free address. The Internet & # 8217 ; s new and
adolescent position does non except it from jobs. Merely as all other signifiers of
mass communicating have been tested in the kingdom of free address and propaganda,
so will the Internet.
Identity of the propagandists
There are tonss of online groups that work to advance free address on the
Internet, but there are a few who stand out because of the range of their
activities, their big presence on the Internet, and their seemingly big
Numberss of protagonists. The Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF ) is today one of
the most ocular online participants in the battle against the CDA, but was established
merely in 1990 as a non-profit organisation before the Internet started to derive
its position as a day-to-day portion of our lives. Mitchell D. Kapor, laminitis of Lotus
Development Corporation, along with his co-worker John Perry Barlow, established
the EFF to & # 8220 ; address societal and legal issues originating from the impact on society
of the progressively permeant usage of computing machines as a agency of communicating and
information distribution. & # 8221 ; In add-on, the EFF besides notes that it & # 8220 ; will
support judicial proceeding in the public involvement to continue, protect and extend First
Amendment rights within the kingdom of calculating and telecommunications engineering
. & # 8221 ; Besides in the imperativeness release that announced the formation of the EFF, Kapor
said, & # 8220 ; It is going progressively obvious that the rate of engineering
promotion in communications is far outpacing the constitution of appropriate
cultural, legal and political models to manage the issues that are arising. & # 8221 ;
Clearly, the EFF is really up-front and unfastened about its belief that the American
legal system is presently non equipped to manage the day-to-day trust and usage of
computing machines in society, and that the EFF will ease in managing jobs in
the country of judicial proceeding and computing machines. Initial support of the EFF was provided in
portion by a private part from Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple
Computer, and since so parts have come from industry giants such as
AT & A ; T, Microsoft, Netscape Communications, Apple Computer, IBM, Ziff-Davis
Publication, Sun Microsystems, and the Newspaper Association of America. It is
likely that these companies see the demand for aid when the computing machine universe
collides with the universe of jurisprudence, and besides see the EFF as one manner for the rights
of the computing machine industry and its clients to be upheld. A 2nd participant in the
country of on-line free address protection is the Center for Democracy and Technology
( CDT ) . The CDT, founded in 1994, is less up-front about their history and
support, but states that its mission is to, & # 8220 ; develop public policies that
preserve and progress democratic values and constitutional civil autonomies on the
Internet and other synergistic communications media. & # 8221 ; Like the EFF, the CDT is
located in Washington, DC, and is a non-profit group funded by, harmonizing to the
1996 one-year study, & # 8220 ; persons, foundations, and a wide cross subdivision of the
computing machine and communications industry. & # 8221 ; A 3rd major participant in the online free
address motion is The Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition ( CIEC, pronounced
& # 8220 ; seek & # 8221 ; ) . This is the group who filed the original case against the United states
Department of Justice and Attorney General Janet Reno to turn over the CDA based
on, in portion, the usage of the word & # 8220 ; indecent & # 8221 ; . The complainants in this case are
a really diverse group, and include many who are besides cited as subscribers to the
EFF. Some of these complainants include the American Booksellers Association, the
Freedom to Read Foundation, Apple Computer, Microsoft, America Online, the
Society of Professional Journalists, and Wired magazine. In their entreaty to
derive new members, CIEC states that they are, & # 8220 ; a alliance of Internet users,
concerns, non-profit organisations and civil autonomies advocates formed to
dispute the constitutionality of the Communications Decency Act because they
believe it violates their free address rights and condemns the Internet to a
hereafter of onerous censoring and authorities intrusion. & # 8221 ; Like the CDT, CIEC
does non straight province what organizations support their cause or how much money
is altering custodies, but based on the companies back uping the case filed by
the CIEC, it is about certain that the same computing machine and publication related
companies are paying for CIEC & # 8217 ; s being. Finally, unlike other groups which
are militants for several causes, CIEC has the 1 and lone mission of
disputing the CDA and does non claim to hold any other intent.
Ideology and aim behind the run
There are several interconnected grounds actuating the on-line free address
motion. The most ocular, and hence one of the most obvious, grounds for
the on-line presence of the free address motion is to subscribe up new protagonists.
Current engineering of the Internet is ideal for garnering information from
people without troubling them. While researching the Internet in the privateness
of one & # 8217 ; s ain place, it takes merely seconds to type in your name, reference, and
other information so that it can be sent to the central office of an organisation.
When compared to the traditional procedure of walking into a traditional
shopfront, speaking with a human, and so composing out your rank
information on paper, this new electronic method is superior. A individual can
go an on-line free address protagonist at 2am while sitting in his or her
underwear and eating leftovers while sitting at place without holding to worry
approximately speaking to a pushful recruiter. Because of this easiness of garnering
information, it is possible for
an organisation to rapidly enroll big Numberss of members. Besides, in footings of
the demographics of the members, the mere fact that they are subscribing up online
generates a certain, desirable demographic group of people. Even though
computing machines are going easier to utilize every twenty-four hours, the bulk of Internet users
are educated and tend to hold higher incomes than the norm. At the caput of
CIEC & # 8217 ; s page where new members are encouraged to subscribe up, there is a big streamer
proclaiming, & # 8220 ; Over 47,000 Individual Internet Users Have Joined as of June 17,
1996! & # 8221 ; . This peculiar technique of denoting the figure of new recruits is
popular among assorted on-line organisations who recruit new members because it
lets the user know that he is non entirely. The user will see the big figure and
cognize that he or she will be portion of a big group of protagonists and therefore
experience safe about subscribing up with the cause. Once an single gets & # 8220 ; in the door & # 8221 ;
of an on-line free address web site, he or she is encouraged to go a member or
protagonist, but why are the protagonists needed? I believe that when presented in
a legal scene, these big rank lists can be used to show that
legion people do be who are in favour of the on-line free address run.
Merely as people vote for Torahs or politicians, rank lists demonstrate that
people have & # 8220 ; voted & # 8221 ; for this cause. While a rank list is non rather as
powerful as an election, it does demo that existent & # 8220 ; everyday & # 8221 ; people support this
cause. When the online free address run takes the CDA instance to the Supreme
Court, it will be armed with long lists of people who support what these
organisations are seeking to make, and the cognition of all of the protagonists could
be merely plenty to lean the Judgess & # 8217 ; determination in the right way. Another
intent behind the on-line free address runs is to pull more concerns to
the attempt. When, for illustration, a package company who advertises on the Net
proclaims to be a protagonist of the motion, so the motion gets free
advertisement. When the names of computing machine companies such as Microsoft and Apple
are mentioned in the introductory and subscribe up information, other companies might
experience the impulse to fall in because of the & # 8220 ; me excessively & # 8221 ; consequence in which the smaller
companies look up to the bigger companies and might be given to follow the policies
of the giants. For illustration, if YYZ Software knows that Microsoft is back uping
the free address on-line motion, YYZ might experience of import if it supports the
cause excessively. While the figure company proprietors or directors shoping a site will be
much smaller than the figure of single people looking at the same site, this
thought of throwing around the name of celebrated companies is an effort to pull at
least some protagonists. Even though merely a little figure of protagonists could be
gained through this channel, it is still a channel, and hence of import no
affair how little. Besides, if this method happens to convey a big company into
the group, so the organisation could derive great fiscal support. While it
is likely that all the Netscapes and IBMs of the universe are already cognizant of the
on-line free address motion, new companies and new lucks are made often
in the fast moving universe of the computing machine industry, so an unknown company today
could be a cardinal participant tomorrow. It is, hence, of import for the on-line free
address motion to be invariably enrolling new companies, because the demand for
big fiscal angels ne’er ends, and you ne’er know when a ma and dad
operation today will be the following Microsoft tomorrow.
Another motive behind the run is the protection of concerns
and their involvements. For illustration, a new on-line magazine for scientists in the
biomedical field is being formed, and the company behind the venture, Current
Science, is puting between $ 7.5 and $ 9 million in the undertaking ( Rothstein ) .
With money like this at hazard, it is obvious that freedom of address must be
secured in order for ventures like this to work. Finally, the ultimate end for
all groups is the abrogation of the CDA, but the omission of the CDA does non intend
the terminal of free address jobs on the Internet, so these groups will ever
exist in some signifier or another. Merely as there is an on-going argument about what
books are appropriate for who, there will ever be a argument about what Internet
content is appropriate for who. Add to this the planetary facet of the Internet,
and the range and complexness of the issue can be envisioned.
Target audience
The clever, or possibly merely convenient facet about on-line free address
propaganda is that the propaganda is located at the really same topographic point that the
argument is approximately. In other words, if you want to advance free address, travel to
where the address is taking place- the Internet. By advancing propaganda online
about on-line free address, you are straight aiming the audience you want to
mark. Peoples who do non use the Internet will be less interested than
those who do, so it makes sense to turn up your run on the Internet, where
the people at that place will naturall
y be more concerned about computing machine censoring
issues. An added fillip of the Internet is its comparatively low cost compared to
traditional media mercantile establishments such as print or wireless, so non merely are these groups
advancing their causes about straight to the people they want to make, they
are making it at a really low cost compared with more traditional methods. On the
other manus, these online free address organisations have small, if any
propaganda outside of the Internet, so they are hence non making the
maximal figure of possible people. While they all maintain traditional offices,
phone Numberss, postal mailing references, and facsimile Numberss, they are virtually
unknown by the public outside of the Internet. While buying print or
telecasting advertizements might non be as direct and monetarily efficient as
using the Internet to advance propaganda, those traditional methods would
aid acquire the word out to the largest figure of people.. Just as all other signifiers
of mass media have been utilized for the spread of propaganda, so will the
Internet.
Media use techniques
This subdivision is by far the most interesting because it deals chiefly
with the existent illustrations and techniques of propaganda used by the online free
speech motion. While the propaganda of these groups is chiefly limited to
the electronic kingdom of the Internet, it is of import to retrieve that the
Internet is itself a multimedia tool. Unlike newspaper, for illustration, the
Internet can convey words, images, sound, and traveling picture. As an added
dimension, these signifiers can change in limitless colourss, strengths, qualities and
measures so that the spectator does non ever cognize what to anticipate. The
of import propagandistic thought of using all available channels to maximise
the consequence of propaganda is surely at usage here.
My first engagement with the on-line free address motion, and the
ground why I decided to look into this subject, was the Blue Ribbon Campaign.
About a twelvemonth ago, I began to detect the happening of the same bluish thread icon
on many different Internet web locations and home pages. These icons are similar
to the ruddy AIDS consciousness thread in footings of their visual aspect and map, and
the existent size of the icon in most locations is typically merely about 8 millimeters high
by 25 broad. Of class this size depends on several computing machine specific variables,
but the point is that the Blue Ribbon Campaign icon is little so that it appears
rapidly without taking much transportation clip. The people behind the Blue Ribbon
icon knew that if they created a big infinite and clip hogging image, that people
would go defeated with the unenrgetic image and neglect to derive regard for it.
However, in world, this little icon is bantam and unnoticeable so that its
visual aspect on a web page is non annoying.
The thought of utilizing a bluish thread is smart because of the association with
the AIDS ruddy thread run. While people have different sentiments about
homosexualism, most people, if non all, agree that AIDSs must be stopped. Using
this logic, it makes sense to use this about cosmopolitan entreaty of the ruddy
thread by the creative activity of a bluish thread. Additionally, the ruddy thread icon is
really good established and is widely recognized, so one time once more, the acceptance of a
similar blue thread icon is smart.
The mastermind of the Internet & # 8217 ; s universe broad web is the usage of hyperlinks or
hypertext. Hypertext is the system of leting the reader to snap on something
and be immediately transported to another location that relates to what he or she
clicked on. Every clip a Blue Ribbon Campaign icon exists on the universe broad web,
it contains the Internet home page reference of the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
one of the key participants in the on-line free address motion. Therefore, by
snaping on the Blue Ribbon icon, the reader is immediately transferred to EFF & # 8217 ; s
home page. When compared once more to the AIDS ruddy thread motion, the advantage of
the Internet system are obvious. When one sees a individual have oning an AIDS red
thread, he or she can non automatically and outright receive information
about AIDS. The individual would hold to inquire the ruddy thread wearer for a phone
figure or reference where AIDS information could be found. With the Blue Ribbon
Campaign, nevertheless, the information is instant, and it fits right in with today & # 8217 ; s
fast traveling society. A individual can see the Blue Ribbon icon, and can instantly
see what it means. There is no clip for the individual to lose involvement due to
doing a phone call or waiting for a postal missive to be delivered.
Therefore on a day-to-day footing I was seeing the Blue Ribbon Campaign icons,
and several times I clicked on those icons in order to derive more information
about this symbol that kept starting up all over the topographic point. If, on a peculiar
twenty-four hours, I was non in the temper to larn about the EFF, I could easy travel back to
what I was making before I clicked on the bluish thread icon. However, since the
icon kept looking at assorted web sites, there were times when I did experience like
researching this interesting phenomenon further, and because the bluish thread icon
was easy to run across, it was easy for me to come in the EFF and see what they
had to offer.
The EFF & # 8217 ; s home pages do incorporate a brief history of the organisation, but
there is no information about the existent beginning of the Blue Ribbon Campaign.
Harmonizing to electronic mail I received from Dennis Derryberry at the EFF after
questioning about the beginning of the Blue Ribbon Campaign: The Blue Ribbon Campaign
does non belong to any specific group ; it is shared by all groups and
persons who value and back up free address online. I believe the thought
originally was sparked by a adult female who has been assisting us with rank
maps, but amid all the enlargement of the run, we sort of forgot where
it truly came from. I guess that & # 8217 ; s merely the spirit of a run for the
benefit of the many. ( Derryberry ) Even if the Blue Ribbon Campaign does non
belong to any one group, it was originated by the EFF and all of the blue thread
icons point back to the EFF.
One of the first options of things to make when one foremost sees the EFF & # 8217 ; s
opening page is to fall in the EFF, the Blue Ribbon Campaign, or both.. Joining
the Blue Ribbon Campaign is simple, and fundamentally involves merely giving them a
little sum of personal information and so copying one of several bluish thread
icons to be used on your web site. There are many, many different bluish threads
available of all different sizes and composings, but they all revolve around
the basic bluish thread thought. If a user is non to the full pleased with the online
choice if available icons, there is an option to have information about
many others that are available. Finally, it is besides possible to make your ain
bluish thread icon and let the EFF to give it off to be used for the same cause.
This full accent on the in writing image of the run is a smart move
because people & # 8217 ; s involvement is aroused by images more than words. If the words
& # 8220 ; Blue Ribbon Campaign & # 8221 ; were seen everyplace, the impact would be less dramatic
than the coloured image of the bluish thread that accompanies these words. Even
though the room access to the EFF is in writing based, the majority of the EFF & # 8217 ; s web site
contains papers after papers of textual information that all relates to the
CDA and freedom of address. Besides located here is the full text of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, including all text of the CDA. Internet users
who click on the bluish thread icon will be taken straight to the portion of the
EFF & # 8217 ; s website that trades with the Blue Ribbon Campaign. Because the Blue Ribbon
Campaign is non the merely cause the EFF supports, there is of class much more to
the EFF & # 8217 ; s website than merely this. Some of the subdivisions of the EFF & # 8217 ; s home page
are:
The Blue Ribbon Campaign subdivision on the EFF & # 8217 ; s home page is set apart from
the other countries by usage of the traditional blue thread icon. This subdivision begins
with a nexus to the newest information about the CDA, and so goes on to name
links to several things including introductory information about the run,
federal, province, and local information, an archive of past information, illustrations
of Internet sites that could be banned under the CDA, activism information, and
eventually a & # 8220 ; Skeptical? & # 8221 ; nexus to a page that tries to convert sceptics about
believing the EFF & # 8217 ; s cause.
About EFF is the first thing that new visitants to the site will desire to
read. This contains a brief history of the organisation and replies most of the
inquiries people might hold. This country besides goes into the beliefs and
motives behind the EFF.
Action Alerts is a list of current events that the EFF is presently
monitoring. For illustration, one of the most recent action qui vives trades with the
latest determination on the CDA. This subdivision besides encourages people to take action
in the Blue Ribbon Campaign and provides a list of assorted ways to assist. At the
top of the list there is a disclaimer about civil noncompliance being & # 8220 ; at least
nominally illegal & # 8221 ; . Some of the suggested activities include: back uping a
28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution to widen First Amendment rights to the
Internet, attend mass meetings, wear Jerseies that promote free address online, put a
existent bluish thread pin on your back pack if you are a pupil, etc.. This subdivision
besides contains a list of old illustration of protest and presentation of CDA
resistance, so demo that people have really gone out to stand up for the
things that are promoted on this site.
Guide to the Internet is a papers that helps introduce novitiates with the
Internet in general, and does non incorporate any EFF or free address related
specific stuff. While this seems pretty guiltless, its intent here is a spot
deeper. If more people can go more familiar with the Internet, so more
people will utilize the Internet and hence hopefully become interested in online
free address.
Archive index is an indispensable tool on the EFF web site because of the big
figure of different paperss available here. This is a searchable index that
Plutos users in happening specific information contained in the EFF pages. For
illustration, if you wanted to see if the word & # 8220 ; erotica & # 8221 ; occurred in the CDA, you
could seek for it.
Newsletter is a subdivision that contains the current and past newssheets
of the EFF. These newssheets are updates about things the EFF is presently
involved with. I think that although much of the information contained in these
newssheets is excess in that it can be found elsewhere on the site, there
are two grounds for this. First, the newssheet format is one that everyone is
familiar with. If a individual is new to the EFF site and sees the & # 8220 ; newssheet & # 8221 ;
subdivision, he or she will automatically hold a general thought how information will
be presented in this format, and it will hence be easier and more welcoming
to read than other types of information. Second, the newssheet is of import
because it is repeated information. One cardinal facet of propaganda is repeat,
so the duplicate of certain information in the newssheet accomplishes that.
Calendar is a listing of future events and day of the months that are of import to
EFF. Many of the listings here are protest mass meetings and agenda addresss that
expression good when many people attend. This provides a amalgamate listing of
day of the months that is easy to entree, without holding to seek all over the site for
things. Besides, the information here is available for download so that it can be
put into a individual & # 8217 ; s personal clip direction package on his or her ain computing machine.
This gives the EFF an indirect nexus to remind you where to travel and when.
Job gaps provides information about using to the EFF for a occupation
with the EFF.
Merchandise lets members and nonmembers purchase Jerseies and metal Blue
Ribbon Campaign pins to assist distribute the word.
Awards gives a list of the 19 awards won by the EFF for assorted things
such as & # 8220 ; Best of the Web & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Top 250 Lycos Sites & # 8221 ; . The show of these
awards legitimizes the organisation and shows to others that many people are
sing this site.
Staff Homepages at first seems slightly deadening, but this subdivision is
really a list of the staff, in rank order, and a short description of what
each individual does at the EFF. Snaping on the individual & # 8217 ; s name takes you to their
home page. This show of information one time once more reinforces the thought of white
propaganda that the EFF utilizations.
Assorted contains a patrons list, other publications of involvement,
and EFF related images, sounds, and lifes.
A 2nd illustration of on-line free address propaganda on the Internet is a
home page advancing the case filed by The Citizens Internet Empowerment
Coalition ( CIEC, & # 8220 ; seek & # 8221 ; ) against the U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney
General Janet Reno. This page is designed to look like a 1700 & # 8217 ; s circular or
posting and to elicit emotions of nationalism and contending for one & # 8217 ; s state. It
would be hard for an American to see this papers and non be reminded of
how we fought for our freedom from the English. Icons of nationalists shouting out
loud, canons and American flags, and pictural representations of the
Constitution all arouse emotions of contending for what is right. This page besides
contains an 4 minute sound cartridge holder that is available for download. This sound is
Judith Krug of the American Libraries Association talking about the censoring
of libraries. The reader has to merely snap on the icon and the sound will be
transferred to his or her computing machine and the user listens to the sound as it is
transmitted. Aside from these sounds and ocular messages, this site is
similar to the EFF & # 8217 ; s in that it contains tonss of information and links to
related anti-CDA sites.
Another web site that utilizes propaganda is operated by the Center for
Democracy and Technology ( CDT ) . This site is one of many that utilizes an
animated & # 8220 ; Free Speech & # 8221 ; icon that displays pyrotechnics detonating in the air. Like
other illustrations, this excessively is really loyal. Besides like other sites, the CDT
shows assorted Internet awards they have won, every bit good as the figure of people
they have signed up who support the case against the CDA.
Counter propaganda
While there are groups and people who favor the CDA, there is really
small propaganda advancing these beliefs. Part of the ground for this is that
the whole argument over the CDA seems to be a really nonpartizan issue in footings of
Republicans and Democrats. If this had been a partizan issue, there would
surely be propaganda on both sides. The chief ground that small counter
propaganda exists is that the CDA is the jurisprudence, so people who are for it have
already been appeased to a certain extent. The anti-CDA groups are protesting
and utilizing propaganda because the CDA is the jurisprudence, and they want it changed. As
with many things in life, it is more common to hear ailments from people who
are non satisfied than from people who are ple
