Censorship or Restriction: Local experts weigh in on Big Tech’s actions

Censorship is to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Debate has circled over social media companies’ ability to censor users’ posts based on community guidelines, according to an article published in Forbes. Virginia Hermosa, civil litigation, and criminal defense attorney, said people are simplifying the situation […]

Toilet Paper Torching: Ox hunting ranch speaks on viral video

By Jillian Guinn  Ox Ranch, located in Uvalde, Texas, posted a video on its Facebook page that depicted an employee incinerating what appears to be several boxes of toilet paper with a flamethrower on March 21. After drawing criticism online, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to aiding the community.  “There’s no toilet paper shortage over here at the Ox Ranch,” the video’s description read. “(In fact,) we had a little fun with the [sic] flamethrower!! Book with us […]

Lubbock rapper sentenced to 25 years in prison after lyrics, social media posts admitted as evidence

By Corey May Editor’s note: An appeal was filed in the Seventh District of Texas Court of Appeals in Potter County on Dec. 05, 2019. Further movement in the case is still pending.  On April 22, 2019, Treshon “Parkway Tee” Stokes, charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver in the […]

Digital Footprints: Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Your Data

The social media behemoth Facebook was already in damage control by the time its 33-year-old chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, testified before Congress in a pair of hearings which began on Tuesday, April 10. The hearings were prompted after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica — a political consulting firm linked to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential […]

More Than a Check-In

By Laura Ragsdale More than 128,600 people have checked into J&B Coffee on Facebook, according to their page, and that number grows every day. Scott Cline, owner of J&B Coffee Company, said his coffee shop uses the Facebook check-in feature to allow customers to connect to the Wi-Fi. “The Facebook check-in feature was brought to us […]

Activism in 2017: Tweeting the Movement

By Shane Longoria  Since the election of President Donald Trump, protestors across the country – including Lubbock – have taken to the streets to voice their opposition of his administration’s ideas and policies. Lubbock citizens gathered twice in January to join a recent wave of political demonstrations. On Jan. 21, citizens showed their support for the […]

Kim Kardashian Breaks the Internet, Again

By Callie Yardley Kim Kardashian posted a censored nude picture on Twitter, sparking a conversation about feminism and women’s right to show off their bodies without being shamed. When you’re like I have nothing to wear LOL pic.twitter.com/UlSLZb1fp1 — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 7, 2016 According to Kardashian’s website, which opens with a black-and-white nude […]

Sassy Mom Makes Tech Student’s Post Go Viral

All it took was a funny picture and a snarky comment from her mom to make a post go viral. Gracen Daniel, a senior agricultural communications major, went to the annual conference of the Mortar Board, a national honor society for college seniors, over the summer. While there, Daniel—who is president of the society’s Tech chapter—took a photo […]

Social Media Affects Two Unique Nonprofit Organizations

Two girls, two friends who had two different types of cancers had two distinct nonprofit organizations founded in their honor, respectively. With the help of social media, these two nonprofits have touched peoples lives and are continuously growing. For childhood friends, Anna Basso and Micaela White, the use of social media was a big factor in […]

#Activism

When she was studying for her Ph.D., Lindsey Blumell wanted to look at journalism and human rights. “I used to volunteer at an old-folks home, and then I did a lot of volunteer work — both where I come from in Canada but also abroad in Croatia and China. I used to volunteer for Amnesty […]