WHAT IS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?

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When American rapper Kanye West was interviewed by TMZ magazine last year, he confidently told them that "...slavery was a choice". That little bit of expression by the famous rapper threw the black community into an uproar which in its own right was quite justified and although it is his opinion the Idea of freedom of expression has its own limitations. Right to express one's ideas and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other forms of communication but without deliberately causing harm to others' character and/or reputation by false or misleading statements.  This also includes freedom of the press and the media as a whole however freedom of expression differs with every person and culture as well as how it affects a person's work place and reputation. In the events of the american rapper it sounded ignorant ignorant especially given what the black american community were battling with at the time.

Freedom of expression is meant to keep the peace between the society in the wake of its democracy and many countries have done their very best not to restrict their citizens in what they should or should not say in public. The constitution in more ways than one is meant to protect its citizens and thus the the right of freedom of expression is clearly stated in the constitution as not meant to cause any kind of harm. In the South African constitution it is also protected by the recognition of human dignity. Human dignity allows one to be protected by law in such cases where your dignity is infringed upon. This also allows the press to not be reckless in their reporting. they are also meant to remember that when reporting they must protect the story, the workplace as well as their sources or subjects.

The press sees freedom of expression as a way to tell the world what is happening in the backyard, the artists also feet he need to tell stories not just of their lives but of the different societies and some use it to protest like the american football teams that took a knee in order to combat police violence against black people or to draw attention to that specific issue. Freedom of expression may or may not be offensive depending on where you are coming from however the idea of the right is meant to protect citizens therefore there must be a criterion that you must pass in order not to be ostracised by the community. There are many ways to express ones freedom of expression however it differs with every person and also every company. Freedom of expression because it is such a difficult right to execute and also keep in mind there are many companies who have had to face situations that put them in danger. The companies have thus decided to use the idea of the constitution and have their own laws that will go hand in hand as not to infringe or to use the statement carelessly    

An ordinary will have a different idea of freedom of expression compared to a celebrity or politician and even any person with a higher standing in the society. Their idea will most likely be affected by that standing and so they will speak their mind without any type of consequence because they are not in any type of harm. That is why we must make sure that when we as citizens speak even though it is true the idea is not to cause harm to another's dignity and that is the idea of lying should be cast aside. Freedom of Expression is what is meant to be honest and open-minded but also not to mislead. That is why people such as comic artists are protected and advertisers as well. these are all acts of freedom of expression and they are meant to shine a light to the society