DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

This is the topic list that we were asked to create at the beginning of the quarter in order to determine what our series of essays would be on. I bolded the topic that I chose to go with.

 

1. Topic 1

(Internet Censorship)

Is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) worded well enough to achieve its actual goal, or does it give too much power to corporations in its current state?

Potter, Ned. "Internet Censorship? SOPA and PIPA Bills in Congress; Would Websites Go Dark to Protest? - ABC News." ABCNews.com. ABC News, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. 

This article gives basic information on the SOPA and PIPA acts, two bills attempting to go through congress that could potentially censor the internet. They both attempt to stop online copyright infringement, but allow for a great amount of power for corporations to shut down sites that they deem unacceptable. 

 

2.Topic 2

(Photojournalism)

Should major news sources keep full time photojournalists as part of their staff?

Is the increase and improvement in cameras in cell phones taking away from the art of photojournalism?

Clifford, Stephanie. "For Photographers, the Image of a Shrinking Path." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.

This article outlined several of the reasons for the decline in photojournalism. These involve the additions of more amateur photographers willing to take in small amounts of money for photographs they take on the side and the decrease in printed productions of newspapers and other media. It also expresses dangers involved in their decline such as incorrectly told stories.

 

3. Topic 3 

(College Tuition Rates)

How greatly are higher tuition rates discouraging students from pursuing a higher education?

 

4. Topic 4

(Advertising Pharmaceuticals)

Should prescription drugs be allowed to be advertised directly to the public?

 

5. Topic 5

(Sharia Law)

Should states with large Muslim communities give recognition to Sharia law and allow it within their own legal systems?

Stern, Eliyahu. "Don’t Fear Islamic Law in America." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. 

This presents the side of those who wish to see Sharia law in America within Muslim communities. They say that to deny them the right to use it is against the Bill of Rights, stating that it is against their freedom of religion.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.