Final Exam
- Identify and state the significance of any ten of the following ideas, films, people, or terms. Be sure to include historical data and concrete examples where relevant. You may use your class notes or your readings; do not use the internet. (1 paragraph; 5 points each)
- I Love Lucy
- The Fairness Doctrine
- The family hour
- Tongues Untied
- Action for Children’s Television (ACT)
- 2 Live Crew
- City of Mesquite v. Aladdin’s Castle Inc. (1982)
- Reno v. ACLU (1997)
- Robert Mapplethorpe
- V-Chip
- George Carlin
- The Quiz Show scandals
- Maude
- Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
- Answer one of the following questions in a 4-5 page, double-spaced essay. Answers should be well-written and well-organized, incorporating class material and readings, as well as your own original arguments concerning the course material. Be specific in your answers – the best essays will incorporate material from the readings as well as specific examples from the films and clips we’ve screened in class. Do not do outside research for this essay. (50 points).
- Trace the history of the FCC from its origins to the current moment. What is the FCC, and what is its regulatory mandate? What role has the FCC played in regulating speech and communications infrastructure in the 20th and 21st centuries? Choose 3 of the following case studies through which to develop your answer:
FCC v. Pacifica fleeting expletives NYPD Blue
Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC 2004 Super Bowl net neutrality
- Do digital media companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have an obligation to shape and sometimes restrict content? Do such obligations accompany, or run counter to, the legal promise of free speech? Drawing on our class conversations and readings about search, filters, algorithms and platform moderation, discuss the role these digital media companies play in disseminating and/or suppressingspeech. What, if anything, should these companies be doing differently?