“Charlie Hebdo panel raises the question: Just because you can say it, should you?” Cont…
By Amanda Nero
It is so much more than hateful speech being published that leads to acts of terror and there is so much more than retaliatory violence that leads to anyone creating journalism that could be considered hateful. It is the result of thousands of years of history between different groups that results in predictable conflict and that just won’t fit in a twenty-five word lead.
When journalists are restricted to 18 inches of print space or five minutes of airtime it is impossible to include a full history lesson to those who need it. The responsibility to fully inform falls not just on the journalist but on the audience as well.
There are some problems, in which history repeating itself teaches us, that are not going away. Investing in the contextual information can be used to understand the vague “why” body paragraphs of an article after tragedy has occurred. It can also help trace the problems and along the way find solutions.
If the freedom of expression remains colossal and in ways undefined, red lines will continue to be drawn too late, or not at all, and predictable conflict will ensue.
Unknowingly, the symposium panelists reminded the audience how important history will be to the future definition of freedom of expression and to the future of the people.
The Missouri Atlas 