Contemplating Media & the First Amendment
President Trump contradicts himself tremendously. A recent article by the Washington Post, describes the ongoing battle between Trump and the NFL. After the NFL decided that players are not entitled to stand during the national anthem, Trump once again took to Twitter and claimed this was "Total disrespect for our great country!". Limiting freedom to... Continue Reading →
This summer, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed a lawsuit against the President of the United States, Donald Trump after he blocked seven individuals from the organization on Twitter. Attorneys from the Department of Justice have asked for this lawsuit, which would take place in a New York Federal Court, to be... Continue Reading →
Article link: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/university-of-cincinnati-allows-richard-spencer-speech Despite what Trump may propagate, the First Amendment is for everyone (thank you, Fourteenth Amendment). So those four freedoms —religion, assembly, press, and speech— all Americans can enjoy those, including white nationalists like Richard Spencer. Spencer has made headlines for his charming (despicable) ideas such as women not being worthy of the... Continue Reading →
As the opinion editor for my school’s newspaper, I expect to come across writers that want their work underneath the “anonymous” by-line. Though, I never fully considered the significance of that protection. Especially for the writers that take a risk in sharing stories. I received a submission once about the life of a DACA recipient.... Continue Reading →
According to Lewis, in Freedom for the Thought That We Hate, Branzburg V. Hayes in 1972 was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision invalidating the use of the First Amendment as a defense for reporters summoned to testify before a grand jury. This remains the only case in which the U.S. Supreme Court has... Continue Reading →
After reading Anthony Lewis' chapter on Brazenburg v Ohio, I grew worried about the safety of private citizens ability to share personal stories. In Brazenurg v Ohio the court ruled that a reporter must testify in a criminal grand jury when called. The Chief Justices states "we cannot seriously entertain the notion that the First Amendment protects... Continue Reading →
Being a journalist means getting the story by doing whatever is necessary. Even if that means you are accepting information from people anonymously in order to get them to agree to give up that information. It makes since that some people want their name or face removed from a story, in order to make sure... Continue Reading →
As a student journalist, a lot goes through my head nowadays when I watch the news. There's an uprising of general distrust of what some call "the media". Viewers tend to identify the press as the media, which I don't understand. Media encompasses several fields; there isn't a giant, all-powerful group of publishers that make up a... Continue Reading →
Legally, lawyers are not forced to disclose incriminating information about their clients. This goes for doctors as well. These rights are granted to individuals with these careers so that the law does not interfere with their ability to carry out their job. One would think that journalists may be granted a similar right, so that... Continue Reading →
There is no federal shield law to protect reporters from divulging sources in court. For years the issue has been contested and overruled. Now, it is conducted on a case-by-case basis. Reading from a chapter in Garrett Epps' The First Amendment: Freedom of the Press, this idea is discussed further. In 1970, United States v.... Continue Reading →
Free Press Free Speech 