@bleachbred Dr. Mike Robinson: What does it mean to the world of political communications in the future with Twitter's decision to permanently suspend Trump's account?
Dr. Elwood Watson: It can be a potential double-edged sword. If the accounts they are suspending or terminating are advocating violence and producing hate speech that can endanger others' livelihood, that is a good thing. The First Amendment does not protect against violence. On the contrary, if they are terminating sites that provide progressive and humanitarian content, that can be problematic.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is this a violation of the 1st Amendment?
Dr. Elwood Watson: The First Amendment does not protect speech that can be considered fraudulent, obscene, defamation, incitement, direct threats, etc.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should social media platforms have the responsibility to monitor what is said, especially by our national leaders?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Yes! Especially if the speech being uttered by leaders is incorrect, violent, and dishonest or can incite violence.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What is your reaction?
Dr. Elwood Watson: I am glad that Twitter took the action that it did.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Did Twitter move late on this?
Dr. Elwood Watson: That is debatable. I would argue that it is more important that they addressed the issue.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Did Twitter address the comments that Big Tech is driving society's thinking?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Yes and no.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What about other social media platforms like Parler that are, in many cases, believed to be anti-democratic?
Dr. Elwood Watson: If they are promoting dishonored content, advocating violence, inflammatory, irresponsible, etc. Yes, they should be banned.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do you think the use of Twitter by Trump led to his election and popularity?
Dr. Elwood Watson: To some extent. However, I would argue that it was a combination of his racist, sexist, xenophobic right-wing populist rhetoric coupled with the intense and, in some cases, the irresponsible media attention is given to him that resulted in his election in 2016.
Dr. Mike Robinson: How do you think Trump will communicate with his followers?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Through future media ventures, he is likely to create. Trump has a demonstrably loyal following, and they will be more than eager to follow his every word so-to-speak.
Elwood Watson is a professor of history, African-American studies and gender studies at East Tennessee State University. He is the author of several books, academic articles and anthologies. He is the author of Outsiders Within: Black Women in the Legal Academy After Brown v. Board (Rowman and Littlefield, 2008), the co-author of Performing American Masculinities: The 21st-century Man in Popular Culture(Indiana University Press, 2011) and the editor of the anthology Generation X Professors Speak: Voices From Academia (Scarecrow Press 2013).
Dr. Elwood Watson: It can be a potential double-edged sword. If the accounts they are suspending or terminating are advocating violence and producing hate speech that can endanger others' livelihood, that is a good thing. The First Amendment does not protect against violence. On the contrary, if they are terminating sites that provide progressive and humanitarian content, that can be problematic.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is this a violation of the 1st Amendment?
Dr. Elwood Watson: The First Amendment does not protect speech that can be considered fraudulent, obscene, defamation, incitement, direct threats, etc.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should social media platforms have the responsibility to monitor what is said, especially by our national leaders?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Yes! Especially if the speech being uttered by leaders is incorrect, violent, and dishonest or can incite violence.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What is your reaction?
Dr. Elwood Watson: I am glad that Twitter took the action that it did.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Did Twitter move late on this?
Dr. Elwood Watson: That is debatable. I would argue that it is more important that they addressed the issue.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Did Twitter address the comments that Big Tech is driving society's thinking?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Yes and no.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What about other social media platforms like Parler that are, in many cases, believed to be anti-democratic?
Dr. Elwood Watson: If they are promoting dishonored content, advocating violence, inflammatory, irresponsible, etc. Yes, they should be banned.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do you think the use of Twitter by Trump led to his election and popularity?
Dr. Elwood Watson: To some extent. However, I would argue that it was a combination of his racist, sexist, xenophobic right-wing populist rhetoric coupled with the intense and, in some cases, the irresponsible media attention is given to him that resulted in his election in 2016.
Dr. Mike Robinson: How do you think Trump will communicate with his followers?
Dr. Elwood Watson: Through future media ventures, he is likely to create. Trump has a demonstrably loyal following, and they will be more than eager to follow his every word so-to-speak.
Elwood Watson is a professor of history, African-American studies and gender studies at East Tennessee State University. He is the author of several books, academic articles and anthologies. He is the author of Outsiders Within: Black Women in the Legal Academy After Brown v. Board (Rowman and Littlefield, 2008), the co-author of Performing American Masculinities: The 21st-century Man in Popular Culture(Indiana University Press, 2011) and the editor of the anthology Generation X Professors Speak: Voices From Academia (Scarecrow Press 2013).