Free speech: Is it really under threat?
By Paul Spoonley We can expect a lot of sound and fury as we start to debate the hate speech provisions that will be aired soon. But hopefully, we can also have an informed debate about the nature of hate, including what occurs online, and the impacts of this on...
What should come out of the royal commission report into the Christchurch attack?
By Kris Gledhill When a terrorist kills 51 people and attempts to kill many others, a government has to do two things — ensure the responsible people and institutions are held accountable, and make changes to reduce the risk of another atrocity. The basis of this...
Can free speech cost lives?
By Jihoon Sung Despite all the debates and discussions, the pandemic continues to ravage humanity and the fake news phenomenon continues to deceive some people. On May 3, 2020, the world marked the World Press Freedom Day, paying tribute to journalists of the world...
Is bigotry a public health problem?
By Ronald W. Pies Over a decade ago, I wrote a piece for a psychiatric journal entitled “Is Bigotry a Mental Illness?” At the time, some psychiatrists were advocating making “pathological bigotry” or pathological bias – essentially, bias so extreme it interferes with...
What is free speech? ▶
Banned books, defamation suits, de-platformed public figures, alt-righters without a venue: is there a crisis of free speech in New Zealand? And what exactly is free speech: a necessary guarantee of democracy or a misused threat to the common good? On September 10,...
Q+A: How do we solve incivility in society?
Politics in places like the US has become increasingly hostile and uncivil, say scholars. Language often vilifies citizens and lawmakers. But people overwhelmingly dislike the incivility and have expressed shame at its effect on policy debates. What are the effects of...Subscribe by Email
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