A Small Newspaper in Iowa Wins a Libel Suit, but Legal Costs May Force It to Close

On July 17, 2017, the Carroll Times Herald was sued for libel after it published the first of a series of investigative pieces about a local cop who was having inappropriate relationships with teenage girls. The day after the Times Herald published its first article about the police officer, he filed a libel suit contending that his reputation had been destroyed, along with his employability as a law enforcement officer.

California Becomes the Second State to Restrict Political “Deepfakes”

California passed a bill that would prohibit the use of “deepfake” technology to spread false information about a candidate within 60 days of an election. While some have touted the bill as a necessary step towards addressing the spread of disinformation, others, including many free speech advocates, argue that the law conflicts with First Amendment law.

Denver Police Agree to First Amendment Training after Unlawful Arrest of Journalist

The 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals have all held that the First Amendment protects people who record police officers performing their official duties in public.

Devin Nunes Files Defamation Complaint against Reporter Ryan Lizza

The lawsuit argues that Lizza's widely read article, "Devin Nunes’s Family Farm is Hiding a Politically Explosive Secret," is a "legion of lies" and that Lizza published it with the specific intent to harm the congressman’s reputation.

Appeals Court Rules University of Michigan’s Bias Response Team Indirectly Chills Speech

"Even if an official lacks actual power to punish," the appeals court argued, "the threat of punishment from a public official who appears to have punitive authority can be enough to produce an objective chill."

Visual Journalists Challenge Texas Law Restricting Drones

Facing fees up to $10,000 for publishing photographs and videos captured with drones, the group say the law has deterred journalists from reporting on newsworthy events of public interest.

Alex Jones Sues Massachusetts Congressional Candidate For Defamation

Alex Jones is suing Massachusetts Congressional candidate Brianna Wu over a tweet he alleges defamed him. In a June 17 tweet, Wu suggests that Jones emailed child pornography to the parents of the children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting.

Upcoming Panel Discussion on Hate Speech in Washington, D.C

First Amendment Watch, ConSource, and the John Brademas Center at New York University will co-host a panel discussion entitled, “Hate Speech on Social Media: Is There a Way to a More Civil Discussion?”