This presentation began with a discussion of ancient Greek public forums. Citizens would gather together, sometimes in large arenas, and talk about politics. People would bring up issues that they were concerned about, and I’ve heard before that sometimes, the winning side would be chosen by who cheered the loudest. Politicians were able to hear concerns directly from their constituents, and the voices of average citizens could be heard by everyone in their city. Public forums are much the same today. We are able to gather and voice our opinions, and hear the opinions of others. Issues can be discussed and argued over. In a public forum, everyone has the chance to speak and make their opinions heard.
With the emersion of new technology in the past decade, the nature of public forums has changed. A person can find any issue they want to talk about online, and they can find people to discuss it with. One of the best ways people can voice their opinions to others is by commenting on blogs, articles, and Internet sites. If someone reads something that they feel strongly about or completely disagree with, they can post a comment right at the bottom of the article, and they can do it anonymously so they won’t be blamed for it. This is good and bad – people are more willing to say exactly what they think if they don’t have to disclose their name, but they also are more likely to be rude and could overstep their boundaries, because it is anonymous and no one knows who they are. I think we, as members of the Church, especially see this online when we watch a Mormon Message on YouTube or do a Google search on Mormons. Every single time I read or watch something about the Church online, there are always rude, discouraging, and attacking comments about our religion. I remember specifically reading about Brandon Davies’ dismissal from the basketball team for violating the Honor Code on Deseret News, and under the article, there were about a hundred comments. Many of them were supportive of Davies and BYU for carrying out a punishment, but many comments were just slamming BYU and the Church for kicking a kid off the team “for sex.”
As journalists, citizens, and especially members of the Church, we can use public forums to share our beliefs and opinions, but we must act morally. I think that we must commit to only saying things online that we would also be willing to say into a microphone in front of a crowd at a town hall meeting. We must be honest and fair in our opinions and comments, and we must respect things that other people say, even if we don’t agree with them. We can stand up for what’s right by doing our research and being educated about topics before we discuss them publicly.
Is Journalism Losing Its Place in the Boisterous Public Forum?
BYU Basketball: Brandon Davies Violates Honor Code, Will Miss Rest of Season:
The Ethics of Civic Journalism: Independence as the Guide:
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