A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing. To The Parliament of England.
The article is addressed to the parliament, which had banned all printing and put restrictions that printing of written material needed verification. According to Milton, literature, and books was a custodian of history and life in itself. Limitation of the printing of books and other written work denies people the freedom of reason and will. He argues that forcing people to act virtual denies them the test of righteousness, and most of them are principled through response to temptation. Milton argues that England should not put the restrictions on printing and press since it was in the middle of reformation and should instead lead the world, taking the position of thinkers and prophets. Licensing print is like offering discouragement to learning and learned men. It buries truth, which is the wealthiest merchandise that the country has. Knowledge is significant, and it passes fact, most efficiently, through writing. Printing would aid in letting people get the message faster. Otherwise, the nation would be leading to a downfall. Therefore, distribution and the freedom to write and publish knowledge should not be restricted.
Information Ethics: A Professional Seeks the Truth
Truth has evolved in how it is understood over time. In the ancient days, people believed that fact was subject to memory, that is, the ability to remember, and thus, individuals would memorize things so as not to be forgotten. Over time, learning this truth went down as poetry, and written literature took over. With the introduction of visual images on the television, people assumed that what they see virtually is in semblance to reality. The truths are written by journalists who construct it daily. Often, the time for events that happen and develop stories based on them, such as politics. However, news should take a broader scope, such as science and other fields. Newsrooms have also strived to introduce inclusivity where women are included in news creation as anchors and journalists. In constructing the news, journalists consider some ethics such as proximity, timeliness, consequence, conflict, prominence, personality, and correctness, among others. The report should have accuracy, tenacity, dignity, and reciprocity. Common errors in the making and reporting of the press are spotted in the interpretation and fabrication of facts. It is essential not to be that events, like truth, are constant and would lead to other activities.
Jayson Blair Returns to the University of Maryland
The experiences and actions of Jason Blair give a perfect example of the pressure that journalists have. Such force many accounts for some of the activities which may compromise the ethic of their profession, journalist. Also, from instance, he is invited back to Maryland University o talk about ethics, bearing that he was a victim of plagiarized work during his time in the university. Most of the articles which he published in The Diamondback were plagiarized, 36 of which were identified (Essner). Blair is ashamed to talk of his actions, as the university would use him as an example in classes of what should be avoided, matters ethics in journalism. He did not reply to the question of how the interview at the university was. He was ashamed. Thus the apologies he made on the people he had hurt and yet had done nothing.
- What are the consequences of plagiarism in journalism?
- What is the stand of journalists in reporting the truth?
- Should printing and content creation be limited through licensing?
Works Cited
Essner, Dean. Jayson Blair Returns to the University of Maryland. Washingtonian. 2016. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/04/07/jayson-blair-university-of-maryland-philip-merrill-college/
Milton, John. A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing. To The Parliament of England. 1644. pg 1-5