First Amendment News

A federal judge upheld the public’s right to access records about detainees held at Guantanamo. He ruled that the documents, previously only seen by judges, attorneys and government officials, were crucial to the debate on what to do with the detainees at Guantanamo. -DB Cleveland Plain Dealer June 01, 2009 By Nedra Pickler WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — A federal judge ordered the United States on Monday to publicly reveal unclassified versions of its allegations and

The Wikipedia supreme court voted 10 to 0 with one abstention to block all Scientology IPs from access to Wikipedia. The court acted to conserve Wikipedia’s “neutral point of view” and prevent religious proselytizing. -DB The Register May 29, 2009 By Cade Metz SAN FRANCISCO – In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology

To make effective use of social networks in journalism, a Belgian internet expert suggests spreading a wide net and engaging contacts with questions leading to genuine conversations. -DB MediaShift Commentary June 1 2009 By Roland Legrand Online social networks are essential tools for journalists. They make it possible to build extended networks, search for story ideas, build contacts and dig up information. But even more important, they help to shake up the relationship between the

The Los Angeles County District Attorney has warned the La Habra Heights mayor that an e-mail he sent to the city attorney could result in a violation of the state open government law. The e-mail urged that action be taken on an issue concerning a new home without public comment “if possible.” -DB Whittier Daily News June 1, 2009 By Mike Sprague LA HABRA HEIGHTS – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has sent

The Pacific Legal Foundation won a case against the Novato Unified School District concerning a student’s free press rights but lost the battle over legal fees, recovering only about one third of the fees they requested. -DB Marin Independent Journal May 31, 2009 By Gary Klien A state appeals court has ruled in favor of the Novato Unified School District in a dispute over legal fees in a student journalist’s lawsuit. The 1st Appellate District