Should spreading propaganda and misinformation fall under free speech?

Question

I’ve seen people claim that their first amendment right was being violated for getting censored after spreading propaganda or just outright misinformation so what do you think

goaded · Accepted Answer

It used to be that society would frown on people caught in a lie, but now it seems that they revel in them instead.

There's massive amounts of false equivalency ("CNN said something wrong fifteen years ago, so they're just the same as Fox News who paid out hundreds of millions in damages for defamation and stood up in court to say no reasonable person would believe Tucker Carlson!"), and the lies are breathtaking in their scope ("Ukraine started it").

The fascists, as they always do, have largely taken over the media. Trump is installing personal loyalists to top positions in the military and firing the heads of the JAG corps because they know that it's every service member's duty to refuse to obey illegal orders.

The first woman to fly a combat mission as a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot sums it up

"Here’s what is going on. When you start firing the military’s top lawyers, that means you are getting ready to order the military to do unlawful things. Trump replaces those JAGs with men who will justify any future unlawful and unethical actions that he wants the military to do."

MisterWack · Accepted Answer

Freedom of Speech is limited, like yelling “FIRE!” in a crowded movie theater knowing there isn’t a fire which has the potential to hurt, injure severely, or kill people in that scenario which leads to punishment. Same with those that yell “GUN!” in a crowded festival event against school shooting.

Another limit of Freedom of Speech is defamation. If you say something that is knowingly fake and the person sues you, you have to pay up if found guilty.

Clearly, propaganda / misinformation / disinformation should be punishable & limited.

msmissydc · Accepted Answer

I think we need to get away from trusting unproven things as facts. We need better fact-checking on social media, and as long as that is not provided, misinformation is outright dangerous. With two exceptions, I don't think it should be banned, though.

First: I think misquoting someone is dangerous and harmfull. Purposfully missquoting people shouldn't fall under freespeech.
Second: Missinformation with the purpose of hate. If you use your missinformation for the purpose of hating on a group of people by spreading lies, that should be banned as well. Spreading facts sure go ahead even if they are harmfull, but lies to wrongly discredit a person or a group of people is something different.

Also not restricting freespeech: freespeech never meant talking shit without consequences, just without fear from goverment persecution.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Who decides what is misinformation? Remember the nazis and communists censored and jailed anyone that was spreading what they deemed to be misinformation.

You can't ban propaganda because virtually every politician uses it a long with celebrities and influencers. Propaganda can be virtually anything from ad campaigns about domestic abuse, to movements about racism to protests to the mainstream media. Would we ban CNN for is Pfizer sponsored propaganda on covid?

We've at negative connection to. the word propaganda probably due it being taught in regards to the rise of the nazis.

RavVid · Answer

I can't answer this because I am not American and I don't have free speech consequently.

I think there would be hell to pay if politicians were prevented from spreading propaganda and misinformation. They more than most do the propaganda and misinformation in all countries.

If instead of saying "We will tax the rich more so they pay their fair share" they had to say "We will slug the median & above income earner with 20% more tax" it won't work well for them.

Anonymous · Answer

There are no written exception to the 1st amendment, but neither does it apply to the states as written anywhere in the constitution or practiced until a lawless court edict over 140+ years later.

The trouble with misinformation is anyone can declare any idea or information as 'incorrect'. You just assume by way of blind faith in select institutions that the same would both be willing and able to workout what the 'truth' was.

When in fact we know for certant that the power to censor is the power to control everything including such institutions which is why in the past they have a long history of declaring as untrue very true ideas simply to protect their own hold on the power to do the same.

You only think it is obvious that they were lying now in hindsight but in reality without all the other information similarly suppressed or not available it was never at all obvious.

NaultD · Answer

This is probably why freedom of speech isn't very common globally. We are actively squandering even abusing a more privilege right. It sounds stupid the way I worded it but in the global scale and perspective hope it comes across.

It is something to defend but it's getting harder and harder to defend with the actively being abused.

Ladsin2 · Answer

Sure. Especially after we all remember what these fuckers did during Covid calling true information mis-dis- and mal information. If we can't have these politicians met with a quick drop and a sudden stop then the least we can do is spread the truth no matter what they call it.

Lliam · Answer

Yes, it's free speech. After all, who determines if something is propaganda or misinformation? Corporate news spreads propaganda and misinformation all the time. So does government. It's their job.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

No, it should not. Or you end up with an uneducated and misinformed citizenry, believing  Farcebook  kooks rather than scientists and losing 1,3 million people in a pandemic.

Anonymous · Answer

Yes, because someone gets to decide what qualifies as misinformation. What if the powers that be decide they don't like what you have to say?

exitseven · Answer

The problem with this is that we do not know who will decide what is disinformation. Currently, disinformation is considered anything that makes democrats look bad

dustybiker2 · Answer

If you can't share a legitimate source with factual information.. no. in my opinion

Kelley1 · Answer

It doesn't matter if it is free speech or not if you don't have the platform to say it.

seeyounexttuesday · Answer

If it isn't the entire corporate media needs to be shut down.

Anonymous · Answer

only truth is being censored. not propaganda lol

Dargil · Answer

It DOES.

Should spreading propaganda and misinformation fall under free speech?

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When does fake journalism, equate to free speech and promoting propaganda?

Should spreading propaganda and misinformation fall under free speech?

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When does fake journalism, equate to free speech and promoting propaganda?

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