Free Speech Propaganda

Propaganda in the Online Free Speech Campaign

Propaganda and Mass Communication

July 1, 1996

In February 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first revision of our country's communications laws in 62 years. This historic event has been greeted with primarily positive responses by most people and companies. Most of the
Telecommunications act sets out to transform the television, telephone, and related industries by lowering regulatory barriers, and creating law that corresponds with the current technology of today and tomorrow. One part of the
Telecommunications act, however, is designed to create regulatory barriers within computer networks, and this has not been greeted with admirable
For example, if YYZ Software knows that Microsoft is supporting the free speech online movement, YYZ might feel important if it supports the cause too. While the number company owners or managers browsing a site will be much smaller than the number of individual people looking at the same site, this idea of throwing around the name of famous companies is an attempt to attract at least some supporters. Even though only a small number of supporters could be gained through this channel, it is still a channel, and therefore important no matter how small. Also, if this method happens to bring a large company into the group, then the organization could gain great financial support. While it is likely that all the Netscapes and IBMs of the world are already aware of the online free speech movement, new companies and new fortunes are made frequently in the fast moving world of the computer industry, so an unknown company today could be a key player tomorrow. It is, therefore, important for the online free speech movement to be constantly recruiting new companies, because the need for large financial backers never ends, and you never know when a mom and pop operation today will be the next Microsoft
Finally, it is also possible to create your own blue ribbon icon and allow the EFF to give it away to be used for the same cause. This entire emphasis on the graphic image of the campaign is a smart move because people's interest is aroused by images more than words. If the words
"Blue Ribbon Campaign" were seen everywhere, the impact would be less dramatic than the colored image of the blue ribbon that accompanies these words. Even though the doorway to the EFF is graphic based, the bulk of the EFF's web site contains document after document of textual information that all relates to the
CDA and freedom of speech. Also located here is the entire text of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, including all text of the CDA. Internet users who click on the blue ribbon icon will be taken directly to the part of the
EFF's website that deals with the Blue Ribbon Campaign. Because the Blue Ribbon
Campaign is not the only cause the EFF supports, there is of course much more to the EFF's website than just this. Some of the sections of the EFF's homepage are: The Blue Ribbon Campaign section on the EFF's homepage is set apart