Viewfinder: Producing Video: A Voice of Freedom

Let's face it, we live in a really big world. When the groundwork was laid for American democracy, the world was a much smaller place. A small group of men decided previous methods of government were insufficient and they created a new society based upon freedom of expression. Several fundamental pillars of the "American Dream" assure freedom of expression through freedom of speech, free press and freedom to assemble. However, I can't imagine that our founding fathers could envision our world today, where those freedoms have been taken to an extreme.

Back in 1776, it was still a challenge for people to have their opinions heard. Freedom of speech was the official policy, but it was not easy to get people to listen. Freedom of the press existed, but buying a printing press was cost-prohibitive for all but the wealthiest. A few people, like Thomas Paine, managed to get published and be heard. He authored a small pamphlet titled "Common Sense," in which he maintained, "the cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind." Paine passionately argued for independence from Great Britain, illustrating the importance of free expression, in which just one small, dissenting voice can start a revolution.

The American Revolution guaranteed these freedoms of expression, but now our world is much larger. There are millions of voices clamoring for attention. However, business entities, a.k.a. corporations, far more influential than individual voices, dominate o…