A new lawsuit brought by a Wisconsin family claims police in their town violated their daughter’s First Amendment rights when they ordered her to remove three Instagram posts that described her experience battling COVID-19 symptoms.
Why Protest Sites and the Border Remain Risky Places to Report
Reporters Committee Attorney and author of the 2019 Press Freedom Report Sarah Matthews explains why borders and protests remain risky for journalists, as well as how data collected in the US Press Freedom Tracker drives her advocacy work.
Twitter Removes More InfoWars-Affiliated Accounts
Among those suspended include InfoWars personality Owen Shroyer, who had recently used Twitter to promote a rally in Austin, Texas against the state’s stay-at-home order. Shroyer has used his accounts to discredit reports that hospitals are overwhelmed by coronavirus patients, though his account was not removed for this reason.
New Study Says Trump Has Undermined Press Freedoms On a Global Scale
The report cites data collected by Freedom House, which shows that, at a minimum, 26 countries have enacted or introduced laws and government rules restricting online media and journalistic access in the name of controlling “fake news.”
Government Corruption, Public Employees’ Speech, and the First Amendment
Law Professor Helen Norton explains how a case currently pending for Supreme Court review could potentially expand First Amendment protection for public employees who report on government corruption and or speak as a public "citizen."
Missouri Journalists Criticize Governor for Lack of Access to COVID-19 Press Briefings
Like a number of states, Missouri has moved from in-person press briefings to online ones in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus. But unlike other states, Missouri has barred the press from asking questions in real-time.
Breaking with Tradition, Supreme Court To Provide Live Audio of Oral Arguments
“Despite the justices' unwillingness to bring the modern technologies of video into the courtroom, the COVID-19 pandemic reveals how some communication technologies can change the culture of the proceedings and how the court communicates with the public,” Ron Collins said in response to the court's decision.
Harvard Law Professor Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against NY Times
On April 13, Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor, dropped his defamation suit against The New York Times after it made changes to an earlier story about Lessig’s defense of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology official who accepted donations from the late Jeffrey Epstein.