donal brown

Media Matters was forced to lay off staff to afford a defense against Elon Musk’s frivolous lawsuit. Musk is suing the nonprofit for its report on hate speech on X. The lawsuit is a reminder that SLAPP lawsuits can chill speech and harm those providing vital information to the public and that a federal anti-SLAPP law is needed. (The Hill, June 2, 2024, by Caitlin Vogus) Emily Hockett for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of

A Vanderbilt law professor says that laws restricting speech on race and racism in public schools may not protect teachers or parents in opposition to the laws but that the First Amendment should protect students’ right to information. Francesca Procaccini writes, “the state may not prohibit the teaching and classroom discussion of information that is integral to learning to participate as an informed citizen in a pluralistic democracy” and that “laws that prohibit all classroom

Alarms are sounding over the alliances of U.S. online news sites with Russia and Iran. Before he joined the online Grayzone, an editor received thousands of dollars from Iran. Grayzon’s founder appears on Russian television and accepted a free trip to Moscow to celebrate RT. (The Washington Post, June 2, 2024, by Joseph Menn) Russia is also funding U.S. websites that purport to cover local news – the D.C. Weekly, the New York News Daily

The Freedom of the Press Foundation, May 30, 2024, urged Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to advance the PRESS Act to protect journalists from such practices as forcing them from revealing their sources. The House passed the bipartisan bill in January. Over 85 news and civil society organizations signed a letter asking that the law reach the full Senate for a vote. (Committee to Protect Journalists, May 30, 2024) For related FAC