02 - Eight Values of Free Expression

 

When doing research on the eight values of free expression, I found the easiest one to gravitate towards to be the freedom of individual self-expression. The value states that self-expression is a fundamental human right, and is essential for the means of democracy, social understanding, and our own personal liberty. In the United States, this freedom encompasses all notations of self-expression, whether it be speech, appearance, or morality, and is rooted deeply in our First Amendment rights. Our freedom of self-expression is so deeply entangled within our rights, I believe it to be not only a protected right, but a natural way of life. In Article19's article discussing self-expression, they paint self-expression as a foundational right that protects all humans, even stating, "Freedom of expression is the lifeblood of democracy." 

I personally have never felt that I fit any of the traditional archetypes surrounding American women, so I find this freedom to be especially empowering. I additionally appreciate how all-encompassing this value is. It not only protects our speech, but also protects who we are and our motivations. When thinking about my personal relationship with self-expression, I couldn't help but think of the figureheads that feed into my development and morality. In honor of the weekend, the first name that came to mind was Martin Luther King Jr. (abbreviated to MLK Jr.), a pastor and incredibly powerful civil rights activist. Despite popular opinion, MLK Jr. was outwardly spoken about his beliefs and values, and was able to incite change in the United States during the 1950s-60s. 

This led me to think about the outcome of America, and more so, the world, due to our freedom of self-expression. MLK Jr. was protected by his First Amendment rights; however, that kind of protection isn't guaranteed for all across the world. This, coupled with our conversation in class today surrounding Great Britain imprisoning people for making memes of them online, really set my perspective on how fortunate Americans are to have this freedom. Adversely, I do think that the current political climate of the world makes it harder to truly express yourself freely - whether that be through social pressures or cultural norms - but also the current climate of the world stands as all the more reason to use the freedom of self-expression to say something about it! 

What became potently clear to me while reading about the eight values of free expression was the historically-rich influences behind the rationale. In 18th century America, these eight values were being used to build a new nation and lead it to fruitful discoveries about Democracy and willpower to incite change. I believe that these values may be forgotten or unknown by the general public (or at least my generation), but if educated on the foundational values of Consitution, it would spark a generation of change. 

01 - My Top 5 News Sources

 My Top 5 News Sources

Carrington Finney 01/08/2026

    As a young woman who wants to be in the know, I find the use of the internet and social media as a vital tool to gain insight on current events, if properly filtered. My personal philosophy for life revolves around the idea of being educated annd informed on relevant subjects, even if it doesn't traditionally align with my thought process. You'll see in the following post just how much that ideology influences my personal research following trending stories and topics:

1. Google/Safari

    As someone who loves to know every single detail as quick as possible, Google or Safari is the first place I go. Safari is conveniently downloaded on your phone, and Google is availiable as a worldwide search eginne leader. The easy accessibility gives a wide demographic of people who are able to view hundreds-of-thousands of articles at the lift of a finger. Along with the easy accessibility of the internet, I feel it satisfies my need to surf the web for the best story and suck in as much information as fast as I possibly can; It also makes it easier to fact-check when you can swap from website to website. 

2. Friends/Family 

    My southern roots give me little to be proud of besides the ability to hear news days before it hits people's phones. I hear most of my news from my mom or dad first, then I'm able to cross-check on Google, which is useless most of the time (your parents are always right). I like to hear news less on a global scale and more on a local scale, so friends and family tend to be more in the know. 

3. The New York Times 

    If there's any kind of event that seems to be large, but relevant to pop culture in some way, the New York Times is my first resort. To write for The NYT, journalists and writers oftenn have an extensive resume, including a measurable impact in the journalism profession and extensive experience. Most of these columnists are full of experience and literary voice that gives the paper a distinct personality that makes the articles an easy read for young adults in The United States. Given this context, it's also important to acknowledge the political and social biases of most of the columnists in the journal. Although they're not perhaps my first choice for something involving the executive branch (I much prefer surfing the web for a good source on those), they are always very informed and are good for a quick, entertaining read. 

4.  Impact - Instagram

    Along with being overly involved in my local happenings, I am also actively involved in women's and disability rights movements. I find that Instagram pages such as Impact can deliver an engaging message and content that also has facts and logic. However, I'd also like to mention the ambiguity behind Instagram pages being seen as journalism. The opinions are mixed, but as mentioned in this article, most of the efforts behind Instagram posts, such as the ones Impact uploads, are meant to educate and inform but also keep readers engaged, 

5. Local Facebook Groups

    As stated previously, I love to know what's going on in the NC Triad. That being said, I stay active on Facebook groups surrounding the Winston-Salem/Greensboro area. Upon inspection, I've found that I'm split pretty evenly between neighborhood-watch/political groups and food/activity groups, along with community-based ones. I find that groups like these help people stay connected and informed.