President Trump Files Third Defamation Lawsuit, Targets CNN
“These suits will likely fail in court but in the meantime they’ll gratify Trump’s base, distract the press and public, and deter speech and journalism that are vital to our democracy. That's presumably the point," Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University Jameel Jaffer said on Twitter.
CNN Settles Defamation Suit With Family of Covington Catholic Teen
The family of Nicholas Sandman sued CNN back in March 2019 for $275 million over their reporting of a viral encounter between the Covington teen and an indigenous activist. Among other things, the lawsuit claimed CNN targeted Sandmann because he was a supporter of President Donald Trump.
Deep Dive: The Nicholas Sandmann Defamation Lawsuits
This deep dive includes information about the defamation suits stemming from a viral encounter between a group of high school boys and a Native American activist. Students can use it to understand such as protected opinion, public figure doctrine, and other First Amendment concepts.
“Extortion And Blackmail”: Bezos Makes Accusations Against National Enquirer Public
Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos is accusing American Media, Inc. of blackmail and extortion in a blog post that included a series of threatening emails Bezos says he received from AMI and […]
National Parks Service Proposal Would Compel Fees For DC Protests
The ACLU of D.C. submitted a formal written comment expressing opposition to the National Park Service’s proposed regulation changes to protest rights in the nation’s capital. Arthur Spitzer the Legal Co-Director of […]
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 […]
Presidential Calls For Reporter Firings Chill Press Freedom
In a statement responding to President Trump’s tweet calling for the firing of the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel, PEN American Director Suzanne Nossel wrote “For the President to call for a reporter […]
Prior Restraint: Strong Protection Against Government Censorship
Prior restraints go at least as far back as 16th century England, when invention of the printing press made it possible to spread dissent and new ideas widely. Such publications […]