MCOM 4003 - Gwen Gunnels

"Kidfluencers" and Child Exploitation Social media has become a significant source of entertainment. Social media platforms began as a place for family and friends to socialize on the internet, but it has quickly become a place of competitive influence. Companies use social media for public relations outreach and for advertising their products. For many, they have built their careers on making content on specific platforms. Due to their age demographic, many "influencers" are teenagers; however, "kidfluencers" have become majorly popular with kids when they watch content online. Some parents try to remain ethical when it comes to their children, but it is not surprising that children will become victims of exploitation on social media. For children in the entertainment industry, there are rules and regulations for safety and for following child labor laws . These laws usually differ between states; however, they are generally the same. Children working in ...

 Freedom of Information Act  The Freedom of Information Act is a "vital part of our democracy."  According to FOIA.gov , the FOIA "provides the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency." The act is essential to keeping American citizens informed about the government. Many people who are ill-informed of our rights as U.S. citizens are not aware of the Freedom of Information Act, what it entails, and how you can request information from a federal agency.     FOIA.gov answers many of the questions generally asked about the Freedom of Information Act. One of which being, "who can make a FOIA request?" The answer is anyone, "citizen or not." There are several steps that need to be taken before making a FOIA request. First, the individual must ensure that information that is desired is not already available publically. Federal agencies are required to post certain categories of information online and there is much informati...

 Media Law and Ethics in Russia  Persons from the United States are usually unknowledgeable of the media laws used in other countries. Of course, U.S. citizens are privileged to have laws that protect their rights to obtain accurate information and speak their minds on specific issues; however, this is not the case in many countries worldwide. In some places, governments control citizens' rights to hear information and will spread misinformation to advance their agenda. Knowing the media laws and ethics used in other countries is vital to make changes, and those outside the country can highlight the issue. Currently, the war raging in Ukraine has sparked questions regarding Russian news. Of course, there is misinformation on both sides; however, what is the government in Russia telling its citizens? According to UN News , the Human Rights Council  pointed out a statement made by the UN rights office:  “While the Government claims that the purpose of the new legislati...

Misinformation on Social Media In the last few years, misinformation has been an important topic, especially regarding social media. Because everyone has the privilege of posting information online, it is easy for someone to construct a story and share it with the world. All it takes is for one person to share the post for the misinformation to spread. Every day, something will go viral, and then primary news sources and magazines write articles about how a viral post was fact-checked and proved to be "fake news." Political propaganda is usually the main topic of discussion regarding misinformation. You can never fully trust what you see online, so fact-checking is essential to social media viewership.  Facebook is usually the social media platform put under fire for misinformation. During the 2020 election, 180 m illion posts were proved to be false between March and November 3rd . It sparks a conversation about the trustworthiness of social media and what needs to be done. ...