社交媒体禁止电台主持人亚历克斯·琼斯发表仇恨言论

Social Media Ban Radio Host Alex Jones for Hate Speech

In the U.S. this week, a number of technology companies banned controversial¹ radio host Alex Jones from using their services. The companies say Jones violated² their policies against hate speech. But Jones and his supporters claim the companies are violating³ his right to free speech.

The conflict between Jones and the social media companies raises an issue that others have long been discussing: Are social media services such as Facebook and YouTube public places where anybody can say anything? Or are they more like private television stations and newspapers, which control their content?

Who is Alex Jones?

Jones has a radio show called “The Alex Jones Show” and a website called “Infowars.” He has claimed that officials in the U.S. government helped carry out the terrorist⁴ attacks on September 11, 2001, and that the 2012 shooting of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook⁵ Elementary School did not really happen.

The website Vox reports that as many as 10 million people visit Infowars every month, and 17 million people looked at his YouTube channel in the past 30 days.

Critics of Jones and his media say he gives his audience wrong information and promotes stories that lead to violence. They have objected to his descriptions of Muslims, transgender people, Jews and other groups.

Several people have brought lawsuits⁶ against him, including parents of a child who was killed at Sandy Hook. They and others say they have suffered threats and pressure because of Jones.

So what should technology companies do?

In recent months, technology companies have struggled to draw a line about what content they will and will not accept. Facebook especially has made efforts to prevent people from creating accounts for people who do not exist, or from sharing information they know is wrong.

In the case of Alex Jones, Facebook did not say misleading information was the reason they banned the radio host. Instead, it said Jones’ words on Infowars used “dehumanizing language” and violated their rules against promoting violence and hate.

Apple reportedly removed five of Infowars’ six podcasts from iTunes for violating hate speech. The company told the Associated Press that it “does not tolerate⁷ hate speech” but did not name Jones or comment further.

Free speech versus⁸ hate speech

Jones and his supporters have pushed back against the ban, saying the First Amendment⁹ of the U.S. Constitution protects his right to free speech. He warns against censorship, saying that technology companies and critics want to silence him because they do not like his point of view.

Even those who do not like Jones’ ideas ask where the ban against him will lead. The president of the Media Research Center, Brent Bozell, wrote, “We are rapidly approaching a point where censorship of opposing voices is the norm¹⁰. That’s dangerous.”

But others have pushed back against Jones’ claim of First Amendment protection. A Muslim-American writer, Rafia Zakaria, says Jones’ words are a kind of domestic¹¹ terrorism and should be outlawed¹², just as support for international terrorism is.

Some First Amendment scholars make a different argument. They say laws have always restricted¹³ some speech, especially when it unfairly damages others. They say media figures cannot call their stories “opinion” and avoid responsibility for them.

Another observer¹⁴ offers yet a different idea. Media historian¹⁵ Brian Rosewald points out that technology companies are businesses, and they do not want to risk losing money because of someone the audience or advertisers do not like.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

controversial - adj. causing much discussion¹⁶, disagreement, or argument

content - n. the ideas, facts, or images in a book, movies, aricles, websites...

audience - n. the people who watch, read or listen to something

promote - v. to help something happen, develop or increase

transgender - adj. of or relating to people who feel that their true nature does not match their sex at birth

misleading - adj. something that is not true

tolerate - v. to accept the feelings, behavior, or beliefs of someone

censorship - n. the system or practice examining and removing content

the norm - n. something that is usual or expected

1 controversial   

adj.引起争论的，有争议的

参考例句：

• The topic of argument is controversial.这个议题是很有争议的。
• Immigration is a controversial issue in many countries.在很多国家，移民都是一个颇有争议的问题。

2 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

3 violating   

亵渎( violate的现在分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Ignorance of a law does not excuse a man for violating it. 一个人不懂法律不构成犯法的理由。
• It was sued by the U.S. federal government for violating antitrust law. 它被美国联邦政府指控违反了反托拉斯法。

4 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

5 hook   

vt.钩住；n.钩子，钩状物

参考例句：

• The blacksmith forged a bar of iron into a hook.铁匠把一根铁条锻造成一个钩子。
• He hangs up his scarf on the hook behind the door.他把围巾挂在门后的衣钩上。

6 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

7 tolerate   

v.忍受，容忍，容许，宽恕；vt.容忍，忍受，容许

参考例句：

• She can tolerate that rude fellow.她能容忍那个粗鲁的家伙。
• The teacher cannot tolerate eating on the class.老师不容许在课堂上吃东西。

8 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

9 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

10 norm   

n.标准，规范，平均数

参考例句：

• Of his age,the child is above the norm in arithmetic.在他那个年龄，这个孩子的算术能力是超过标准的。
• These events were aberrations from the norm.这些事件不合常规。

11 domestic   

adj.家里的，国内的，本国的；n.家仆，佣人

参考例句：

• This is domestic news.这是国内新闻。
• She does the domestic affairs every day.她每天都忙家务。

12 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

13 restricted   

adj.有限的；受约束的

参考例句：

• Speed is restricted to 30 mph in towns. 在城里车速不得超过每小时30英里。
• a restricted range of foods 有限的食物种类

14 observer   

n.观察家，观察的人，观察员

参考例句：

• I can see you're a careful reader as well as a careful observer.我能看出你既是一位细心的读者，又是一位观察者。
• I want to attend the conference only as an observer.本人只作为观察员身份参加会议。

15 historian   

n.历史学家，编史家

参考例句：

• As a historian,he was most typical of the times in which he lived.作为历史学家，他是他所处时代最有代表性的人物。
• He calls himself a historian,but his books are a mere journalism.他自称为历史学家，但是他的书都是些肤浅的通俗作品。

16 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。