Should bloggers be allowed the same freedom of speech and protections against defamation that traditional reporters have? Then, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we look at the state of black leadership in Los Angeles. Later, Spike Jonze's futuristic vision of LA in "Her," the music of the Civil Rights era and a look at how words like "um," "like" and "right?" impact our speech.
Appeals court decision extends 1st Amendment protections to bloggers
Online bloggers are allowed the same freedom of speech and protections against defamation that traditional reporters do, a court ruling declared on Friday.
The case at hand involved a blogger named Crystal Cox who wrote several posts accusing an Oregon attorney and his company, Obsidian Finance Group LLC, of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and other illegal activities.They sued Cox for defamation and originally won until the case made its way to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court declared Friday that Cox should be afforded the same free speech protections as a traditional journalist. In the ruling, the judge said that jury could not find Cox liable for defamation unless it found that she acted negligently.
Should bloggers and non-traditional journalists be allowed to make false statements under protection of freedom of speech? How do you prove ‘negligence’? What type of speech can be considered defamatory online?
Guest:
Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA. He represented blogger Crystal Cox in the case
The state of black leadership in LA
As we mark what would have been the 85th birthday of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we look at the state of black leadership in Los Angeles.
What impact has the Obama presidency had on the work of black leaders locally? What are the current issues for African Americans? And who are the next generation of leaders?
Guests:
Joe Hicks, Vice President, Community Advocates, a civil rights and social criticism organization
Dallas Fowler, Commisioner, Commission on the Status of Women
Rev. Mark Whitlock, Executive Director, Cecil Murray Center for Religion and Civic Culture
Shani Byard, Founder of Message Media Ed, School of Black Leadership in the Digital Age
Is ‘Her’ the future of Los Angeles?
Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ is set in future-L.A., an unspecified decades-away version of the city with a more dense skyline and a sprawling public transit system. Jonze’s version of Los Angeles isn’t particularly dystopian or retro.
New York architects helped redesign the skyline, adding tall buildings far beyond the borders of modern downtown. The city’s new look borrows from Shanghai, where many of the film’s street scenes were shot.
The new L.A. seems car-less — people rely instead on large walkways in the city center and an expansive train system that protagonist Theodore Twombly takes to and from work and, presumably, to a few area beaches and other city locations.
How did the production team design the new Los Angeles? Is this the future of the city? How might things change in the next few decades? What inspired the architecture and design for the film? Los Angeles Times’ architecture critic explores these issues in his analysis of the film.
Guest:
Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times
Black women entertainers and the Civil Rights movement
The impact artists, writers and other cultural workers had on the civil rights movement is a well-trodden topic, but what about the influence black women performers exercised on the movement?
In her new book, “How It Feels to Be Free,” Rutgers history professor Ruth Feldstein looks at the careers of six people—Lena Horne, Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson--between 1950s to the 1970s, to ask how these black women performers helped shaped the discussion around empowerment and forged social changes.
Guest:
Ruth Feldstein, Associate Professor in History and American Studies at Rutgers University and author of “How It Feels to Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement” (Oxford University Press, USA, 2013)
Are vocal crutches holding you back?
Have you ever spoken with someone who relies on vocal crutches to get through everyday conversation? Chances are, you have. Many people rely on vocal crutches without even realizing it.
Common vocal crutches include relying on filler words such as “um”and “like, “ya know?” Up-talking is another common vocal tic which occurs when someone ends statements with the intonation of a question. Vocal crutches can be annoying and can even distract listeners from what is actually being said.
Can vocal tics impact a person’s image? Can vocal crutches hold individuals back in a professional environment? What is the best way to identify a vocal crutch? How can you stop yourself from relying on vocal tics?
Guest:
John K. Bates, CEO and Founder at Executive Speaking Success
Appeals court decision extends 1st Amendment protections to bloggers
Online bloggers are allowed the same freedom of speech and protections against defamation that traditional reporters do, a court ruling declared on Friday.
The case at hand involved a blogger named Crystal Cox who wrote several posts accusing an Oregon attorney and his company, Obsidian Finance Group LLC, of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and other illegal activities.They sued Cox for defamation and originally won until the case made its way to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court declared Friday that Cox should be afforded the same free speech protections as a traditional journalist. In the ruling, the judge said that jury could not find Cox liable for defamation unless it found that she acted negligently.
Should bloggers and non-traditional journalists be allowed to make false statements under protection of freedom of speech? How do you prove ‘negligence’? What type of speech can be considered defamatory online?
Guest:
Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA. He represented blogger Crystal Cox in the case
The state of black leadership in LA
As we mark what would have been the 85th birthday of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we look at the state of black leadership in Los Angeles.
What impact has the Obama presidency had on the work of black leaders locally? What are the current issues for African Americans? And who are the next generation of leaders?
Guests:
Joe Hicks, Vice President, Community Advocates, a civil rights and social criticism organization
Dallas Fowler, Commisioner, Commission on the Status of Women
Rev. Mark Whitlock, Executive Director, Cecil Murray Center for Religion and Civic Culture
Shani Byard, Founder of Message Media Ed, School of Black Leadership in the Digital Age
Is ‘Her’ the future of Los Angeles?
Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ is set in future-L.A., an unspecified decades-away version of the city with a more dense skyline and a sprawling public transit system. Jonze’s version of Los Angeles isn’t particularly dystopian or retro.
New York architects helped redesign the skyline, adding tall buildings far beyond the borders of modern downtown. The city’s new look borrows from Shanghai, where many of the film’s street scenes were shot.
The new L.A. seems car-less — people rely instead on large walkways in the city center and an expansive train system that protagonist Theodore Twombly takes to and from work and, presumably, to a few area beaches and other city locations.
How did the production team design the new Los Angeles? Is this the future of the city? How might things change in the next few decades? What inspired the architecture and design for the film? Los Angeles Times’ architecture critic explores these issues in his analysis of the film.
Guest:
Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times
Black women entertainers and the Civil Rights movement
The impact artists, writers and other cultural workers had on the civil rights movement is a well-trodden topic, but what about the influence black women performers exercised on the movement?
In her new book, “How It Feels to Be Free,” Rutgers history professor Ruth Feldstein looks at the careers of six people—Lena Horne, Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson--between 1950s to the 1970s, to ask how these black women performers helped shaped the discussion around empowerment and forged social changes.
Guest:
Ruth Feldstein, Associate Professor in History and American Studies at Rutgers University and author of “How It Feels to Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement” (Oxford University Press, USA, 2013)
Are vocal crutches holding you back?
Have you ever spoken with someone who relies on vocal crutches to get through everyday conversation? Chances are, you have. Many people rely on vocal crutches without even realizing it.
Common vocal crutches include relying on filler words such as “um”and “like, “ya know?” Up-talking is another common vocal tic which occurs when someone ends statements with the intonation of a question. Vocal crutches can be annoying and can even distract listeners from what is actually being said.
Can vocal tics impact a person’s image? Can vocal crutches hold individuals back in a professional environment? What is the best way to identify a vocal crutch? How can you stop yourself from relying on vocal tics?
Guest:
John K. Bates, CEO and Founder at Executive Speaking Success