26: The Media and Freedom of Speech

As previously addressed in the Dixie Chicks/Ellen blog, the concept of Freedom of Speech has recently risen to a much talked-about thing in the past few weeks, in the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo.  As an individual, I would say a place a quite large value on freedom of speech as part of today's democratic society.  Now, with the tensions revolving around Islamic State, and the subsequent acts of violence with regards to topics such as this, light has been shed on the fact that speech is not quite so "free" in the minds of other governments and cultures.  Granted, the body behind this most recent of attacks is agreeably extreme in nature, but still I don't think many people often even really regard free speech as a right that isn't always so upheld, which is understandable given the society in which we live in the developed world.  Addressing the issue itself head-on, I would say that free speech, especially of the satirical or outspeaking nature, is incredibly important as a basic human right.  Again and again media events circle back to the point of offence, and how the reactions of different individuals differ when shown similar material.  The great thing about the right to free speech is that it kind of trumps all that, and although sometimes saying the wrong things can certainly end your career as a popular artist (just ask the Dixie Chicks), in no way should it be getting anyone, much less a group of people killed.