Broadcast and Internet Indecency : Defining Free Speech

Explores broadcast and Internet indecency from social and legal perspectives, using cases and examples. This book argues that broadcast and Internet indecency reflect the outer boundaries of acceptable speech, and "understanding the limits of free speech in a free society allows us to theorize about the nature of communication."

Indecency--arguably among the most provocative and incendiary issues in today''s media--is speech at the edge of social tolerance. This timely volume examines broadcast and Internet indecency from legal and social perspectives, utilizing current cases and well-publicized examples. In exploring the issues associated with this highly controversial area, author Jeremy Harris Lipschultz makes headway toward an understanding of how indecency, as communication on the fringes of social norms, functions in defining free expression through specific types of speech. He contrasts conceptualizations of indecency and obscenity, synthesizes case law and social research, and develops theoretical generalizations for future research and study. His work provides a comprehensive examination of broadcast and Internet indecency issues and cases that serve to test generalizations about freedom of expression and one''s ability to define free speech.