Federal Appeals Court Says Public Officials Cannot Block Critics
A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that a local county official who temporarily blocked a constituent from her Facebook page violated the First Amendment, making this the first court of appeals ruling regarding whether the First Amendment applies to government-run social media accounts.
Gene Policinski Commentary: You Think Bombs Will Deter, Discourage And Destroy Freedom? Think Again.
The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Gene Policinski, originally published this commentary on October 26, 2018, on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint. […]
Trump Revokes Former CIA Director’s Security Clearance
President Trump implied that the reasoning behind why he revoked John Brennan’s security clearance is because of criticism, noting in a tweet that Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper […]
Are White House NDAs Legal? Experts Weigh In.
Former Trump aide and “The Apprentice” star Omarosa Manigault Newman’s public dispute with President Trump following her book release publicity tour raises questions about the legality of White House […]
President Trump’s Plans for Libel Laws
President Trump and his team want to ‘open up’ libel laws. The goal: to make it easier to sue media organizations for unfavorable coverage. But there is little that the President can actually do to change the libel laws. There is no federal law on libel. State laws control libel, and all such laws are subject to stringent First Amendment protections for the press and other speakers that the Supreme Court has imposed through cases such as the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan decision in 1964. However, threats to loosen the libel laws is noteworthy as part of a larger effort to criticize the press and attack its credibility.
A Provocative Mural in Louisiana Stirs Artistic Expression Debate
When real estate developer Neal Morris commissioned local street artist Cashy D last November to create a wall mural using a quote from President’s Trump’s Access Hollywood taping, he did not expect the […]
Gene Policinski Commentary: Two Wrongs Do Not Make A ‘Right’ — But They Can Misuse One
The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Gene Policinski, originally published this commentary on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint. Didn’t we all learn, long […]
Players Who Sit Out National Anthem Under Fire From President Trump
Over the weekend, President Trump took aim at players who have more explicitly over the past year taken to kneeling, sitting or raising a fist during the playing of the National Anthem in order to bring awareness to racism and police brutality. In response to the President's tweets, NFL players in games across the country responded by kneeling or sitting out the national anthem. Debate bubbled over on social media over whether this was a fireable offense or freedom of expression.