When we talk about what "freedom of speech" means in America, the discussion almost always centers on freedom rather than speech. Taking for granted that speech is an unambiguous and stable category, we move to considering how much freedom speech should enjoy. But, as Randall Bezanson demonstrates in Speech Stories, speech is a much more complicated and dynamic notion than we often assume. In an age of rapidly accelerated changes in discourse combined with new technologies of communication, the boundaries and substance of what we traditionally deem speech are being reconfigured in novel and confusing ways. In order to spark thought, discussion, and debate about these complexities and ambiguities, Bezanson probes the "stories" behind seven controversial free speech cases decided by the Supreme Court. These stories touch upon the most controversial and significant of contemporary first amendment issues: government restrictions on hate speech and obscene and indecent speech; pornography and the subordination of women; the constitutionality of campaign finance reform; and the treatment to be accorded new technologies of communication under the Constitution. The result is a provocative engagement of the reader in thinking about the puzzles and paradoxes of our commitment to free expression.

Designed for those preparing to write in the current multimedia environment, MediaWriting explores: the linkages between print, broadcast, and public relations styles outlines the nature of good writing synthesizes and integrates professional skills and concepts Complete with interesting real-world examples and exercises, this textbook gives students progressive writing activities amid an environment for developing research and interviewing skills. Starting from a basis in writing news and features for print media, it moves on to writing for broadcast news media, then introduces students to public relations writing in print, broadcast, and digital media, as well as for news media and advertising venues. Rather than emphasizing the differences among the three writing styles, this book synthesizes and integrates the three concepts, weaving in basic principles of Internet writing and reporting. This book provides beginning newswriting students with a primer for developing the skills needed for work in the media industry. As such, it is a hands-on writing text for students preparing in all professional areas of communication--journalism, broadcasting, media, and public relations.

This book deals with the stories of Israelite complaint or murmuring in the wilderness found in the books of Exodus and Numbers that were composed and edited by the priesthood of ancient Israel. It discusses the significance of the theme of rebellion and complaint for the ancient priests and analyses the part they played in the development of the theme in the Pentateuch. After a general introduction on the theme of murmuring and on the Priestly School, the book goes on to analyze four major priestly texts: the manna story (Exodus 16); the story of the Scouts (Numbers 13-14); the story of the rebellions surrounding the figure of Korah (Numbers 16-17) and the story of the Waters of Merivah (Numbers 20). The significance of the book is two-fold. First, it develops a methodology that allows one to discriminate between early priestly narrative materials and later priestly editorial supplementation. Second, the work demonstrates the antiquity of the priestly narrative lore in the Pentateuch and the significant role which the priests played in creating and developing major narrative traditions in ancient Israel.

When Hillary Clinton conceded in 2008 that she didn't quite 'shatter the glass ceiling', and when Rick Perry in 2012 called Mitt Romney a 'vulture capitalist', they used abbreviated metaphorical stories, in which stories about one topic are presented as stories about something entirely different. This book examines a wide range of metaphorical stories, beginning with literary genres such as allegories and fables, then focusing on metaphorical stories in ordinary conversations, political speeches, editorial cartoons, and other communication. Sometimes metaphorical stories are developed in rich detail; in other examples, like 'vulture capitalist', they may merely be referenced or implied. This book argues that close attention to metaphorical stories and story metaphors enriches our understanding and is essential to any theory of communication. The book introduces a theoretical structure, which is developed into a theory of metaphorical stories and then illustrates the theory by applying it to actual discourse.