To the Point
The Power and the Peril of Social Media
Social media have been a force for liberation in repressive countries. They've also been used to organize crime...
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenSocial media have been a force for liberation in repressive countries. They've also been used to organize crime. Can governments control Facebook, Twitter and other networks, and protect free speech at the same time? Also, the United States calls for Syrian President Assad to step down, and Standard & Poor's faces a federal investigation.
Banner image: A demonstrator wears a mask as he tries to use his cell phone during a protest inside the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Civic Center station on August 15, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesPresident Obama Calls for Syrian President Assad to Step Down
After weeks of brutal government violence in Syria, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, the European Union and the United States called today for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Read the story7 minThe Uses of Social Media and the Right to Free Speech
Facebook, Twitter and other social media have allowed Egyptians, Iranians, Chinese and others to challenge repressive governments. The governments, in turn, have been criticized for shutting the media down. Now countries with traditions of protecting free speech face a different challenge.
Read the story34 minIs Justice Department's Investigation of S&P Retaliation?
When Standard & Poor's downgraded America's credit rating , questions were raised about the agency's role in failing to blow the whistle on sub-prime mortgages. Now the Justice Department has launched an investigation of America's largest credit rating agency.
Read the story9 min
