Free Speech Free Press
...qually important. A mayor, senator, policeman, banker, custodian, teacher, and student may each cast only one vote at the polls.” What is not taken into consideration is the power necessary to influence these individual’s one vote at the polls. Hitherto, to the nineteenth century the accessibility to influence, or free speech, were those who spoke the loudest or those most persistent to convey their message to the voters. In this day and age, neither vocal capacity nor persistence hold significant merit, media moguls are currently the omnipotent voice and to borrow their vocal abilities involves large expenditures. Under these circumstances it is evident that the American people have capitulated their “guaranteed right to influence government” to the affluent due to medias influence on the voter. Bill Moyer’s special, “Free Speech for Sale” is a perfect illustration of how the First Amendment is no longer available to every American and how the affluent pressures government to their desire. Moyer begins by illuminating Cindy Watson, a member of the General Assembly in North Carolina who was literally pushed out of office by big business. Watson was personally involved with her district, for that is where she resided, and listened to the requests of her voters growing concern about the affects of hog farming in the area; which happened to be the largest agricultural industry in the state. The constituent complained about the waste and its effects on their drinking water and the intolerable smell coming from the farm. Watson began a campaign against these hog farms by attempting to institute improved restrictions on their growth and consequences for their neglect to their surroundings. Previous to the up and coming elections for General Assembly an organization called Farmers for Fairness launched a multimillion dollar campaign against Watson. She lost the election. As for Farmers for Fairness, they were a non-profit organization supported by the hog farmers and were not regulated because they did not use the terms “vote for [or] against.” As for the constituent they were not informed that Farmers for Fairness was a euphemism for the hog farmers. It is evidently shown that the unequal distribution of resources, freedom of speech, hinders the American peoples influence of government. Another more compelling account of “Free Speech for Sale” is in Moyer’s report the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that bestowed the control of the digital spectrum to the broadcasting companies. The digital spectrum allows broadcasting companies to broadcast digitally instead of analog that was being used previously, but why is this bad? This is was most Americans heard and thought of th...