Journalistic Solutions to Misinformation and Restoring Public Trust in the News
Join us for a conversation on February 10th with Nora Benavidez on how journalists and readers can help slow the spread of misinformation and restore public trust in news. The Q&A is part of our #FAWPublicForum event series, a monthly conversation with First Amendment experts on contemporary free speech issues.
Newspapers Put Pressure on Rhode Island Governor To Resume COVID-19 Press Briefings
Since her nomination to then-President-Elect Joe Biden's Cabinet, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has stopped answering journalists' questions about the pandemic and vaccine distribution. According to The Providence Journal, Raimondo’s last weekly COVID-19 briefing was on December 22, 2020.
NYPD Shares Its Policies on Surveillance Technologies with Public
On January 11, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) published more than a dozen documents on how and when its officers can use surveillance technologies, including body cameras, facial recognition technology, and cell phone locators. The agency’s move towards transparency is the result of a three-year-long battle that culminated this summer with the passage of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act on June 18, 2020.
Does the First Amendment Protect Trump on Incitement to Riot?
On January 6th, President Donald Trump held a rally near the White House and urged his supporters to march on the Capitol where members of Congress were certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. “We’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you,” he said. “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”There is no doubt that Trump’s speech was inappropriate, imprudent, rash, offensive, and even repugnant. But, it is more difficult to determine whether Trump’s comments constitute incitement to imminent lawless action, a type of speech not protected by the First Amendment.
Do Twitter and Other Social Medial Platform Bans on Trump Violate the First Amendment?
Twitter, Facebook, and a host of other privately-held companies have imposed bans on President Donald J. Trump, believing that his incendiary comments on January 6, 2021, helped fan the flames of outrage that resulted in an assault on the Capitol. Trump and others have decried the social media blackout as a direct assault on conservative points of view, and as a draconian targeting of only certain types of speech.
ACLU Files Lawsuit On Behalf of Ohio Man Who Was Arrested For Recording Police
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is suing the Columbus, Ohio police for arresting a 35-year old man while he was recording six officers serving a search warrant in his neighborhood.