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Police gather near the Capitol Gazette newspaper office where a shooting occurred in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S., June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

The U.S. Is Now A Less Safe Place For Journalists

A newly released annual report by Reporter Without Borders, called the “World Press Freedom Index,” reveals a disheartening state of freedom of the press around the globe—including in the U.S. “The number of countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media,” the report says. The United States has now become a less safe place for journalists, ranking at No. 48 out of the 180 countries and territories on the list.

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Is WikiLeaks a News Organization Protected by the First Amendment?

Is WikiLeaks a News Organization Protected by the First Amendment?

April 18, 2019 — Comments are Disabled

Wikileaks role in the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections continues to be investigated even as leakers face increasing recriminations under the Trump administration. What is next for Julian Assange and the tempest he unleashed? It depends on whether you think Assange is running a media organization or not. If he is, then the question is whether Wikileaks should be protected by freedom of the press? 

Authors Share Excerpts on Free Speech

Authors Share Excerpts on Free Speech: Amy Werbel and Lust on Trial

Authors Share Excerpts on Free Speech: Amy Werbel and Lust on Trial

January 11, 2019 — Comments are Disabled

In Lust on Trial, [Amy] Werbel presents a colorful journey through Comstock’s career that doubles as a new history of post–Civil War America’s risqué visual and sexual culture. Born into a puritanical New England community, Anthony Comstock moved to New York in 1868 armed with his Christian faith and a burning desire to rid the city of vice. Werbel describes how[Read More…]

History Speaks

The Enduring Impact of Jefferson’s Inaugural Address in 2019

The Enduring Impact of Jefferson’s Inaugural Address in 2019

January 2, 2019 — Comments are Disabled

By Stephen Solomon, founding editor of First Amendment Watch The most-visited page on First Amendment Watch during 2018 was not one of the many conflicts over freedom of speech and press that we covered during the year. It was Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address, delivered by our third President on March 4, 1801. Jefferson articulated a message that resonates in our own time of[Read More…]