I'm at jury duty
A nerd reflects on free speech.
When COVID first hit, I spent months quietly organizing and sharing information from sources I trusted—places that offered clarity instead of shouting. As someone who studied freedom of speech law and journalism, I’ve been watching the media landscape shift over the past few years. And in light of what’s happening now, I want to offer a small way to help us all revisit the difference between what’s helpful to know and what we’re inclined to believe. Maybe it can help us stand a little taller as we move through the world.
Let’s start here: Most major news outlets didn’t begin prioritizing digital news feeds until around 2014, when Facebook began positioning itself as a media distributor. Mark Zuckerberg described it as a goal to “build the perfect personalized newspaper for every person in the world” (Kim, 2014).
And that was only 11 years ago…
A personalized newspaper doesn’t sound threatening—it sounds like convenience. But personalization via algorithms is also what silos us into echo chambers. These platforms—Facebook, Twitter (now X), Instagram, Reddit—are privately owned companies that monetize our attention and data. The more time you spend in-app, the more ads you see, and the more they profit. So they’ve perfected the illusion that everything you need to know lives inside a scroll.
But it doesn’t.
If you’re seeing viral headlines, protest footage, or simply feeling confused by the news cycle, I recommend starting with three foundational sources:
Associated Press (AP)
BBC or Axios (depending on whether you want global or U.S. context)
Here’s why: Outlets like CNN, FOX News, and ABC often source their initial reporting from Reuters and AP. These wire services have large teams of on-the-ground journalists focused solely on fact-based reporting. You’ll see them credited at the top of articles across the political spectrum. Once those facts are gathered, newsrooms add analysis, context, and opinions from experts that would like to add a POV. That’s not inherently wrong—it just means that, like any conversation, you're hearing a version of events filtered through a particular lens.
It’s like asking your older sister if she still likes JCREW…she might love some of it and have good reasons for you to go check it out. But if you don’t try it on yourself how do you know if you like it too?
It’s worth repeating: news should take time to understand.
The louder the yelling or the faster the take, the more you should pause and ask yourself: How do I feel right now? Then follow that feeling to the full story.
If you see a headline on social media, click the link. Read the article. Trace it back to its source. More often than not, the article itself isn’t exactly what the headline suggests. That’s not necessarily deception—it’s a symptom of media companies trying to survive in an algorithm-driven attention economy.
And yes, your freedom of speech is being tested.
We need to stay alert. The rights we take pride in—protest, dissent, access to public information—are being reshaped in real time.
And finally, no: It is not normal for the United States to detain and forcibly remove individuals without due process.
That sentence isn’t political—it’s constitutional. If we don’t collectively recognize that, we risk losing more than just the thread of the news cycle. We risk losing the rights we consider foundational.
The history of the United States is built on riots, protests, resistance, and scrappy, often brutal critiques of the opposition. It’s actually encouraging that we have political parties with starkly different views—that’s what democracy looks like. But we have to stay informed. Seek out long-form journalism where facts stretch. Don’t settle for shortcuts.
Read historical non-fiction. Remind yourself humans are self agrandgious. We should be reflecting on history to step forward not spiraling in a vortex of social media. Ask older generations what they see vs. what personalities are telling us. Be curious and hopeful. Don’t listen either to the weird manufactured labels now being placed on people in both parties. Nothing is black and white.
When you’re talking with others, especially in moments of tension, it can help to remember: most of us are trying to protect what we love, and who we love.
We don’t need to agree.
But we do need to speak up.
Send me the things your reading. Ask friends where they feel their loved ones have a perspective. Don’t pressure yourself to assign reverence to leaders of any kind. Being likable is not the top reason to respect a leader. Being hated is not a top reason to miss the reasons someone might like them one either.
A leader is someone making decisions. And we get to reflect on that.