Knight Foundation gives $60 million to support First Amendment

Together with Columbia University, the Knight Foundation is launching a $60 million campaign to defend and promote the First Amendment using the law, research and education. The Knight Foundation believes that, with fewer print news outlets, more heft is needed to preserve free speech and free press in the age of fast-moving technology. (Courthouse News Service, May 17, 2016, by Deepti Hajela of the Associated Press)

The grant will help fill the void allowing governments and powerful individuals who strive to censor information. New tech-age issues include “digital copyright claims, privacy tourism and the ‘right to be forgotten.'” Other issues that Knight and Columbia will address include the “National Security Agency electronic surveillance of journalists and news sources; privacy rights on digital platforms; the overall freedom of internet platforms; use of digital technology in courtrooms and access to court records; free speech on college campuses; the lack of a strong constitutional shield for journalists reporting sensitive topics; a crackdown on government employees who talk with the media; and government delays and refusals in handling FOIA requests.” (Fortune, May 17, 2016, by Jeff John Roberts)