First Amendment News

The Associated Press signed a deal with the artificial intelligence firm OpenAI to share news content and technology. AP does not now use generative AI in reporting the news but wants to use AI to improve its output. (Axios, July 13, 2023, by Sara Fischer) OpenAI is also committing $5 million in a deal with the American Journalism Project to help local news outlets to experiment in using artificial intelligence technology in reporting. (Axios, July

Ray Epps, a former Arizona businessman, is suing Fox News for spreading lies that he was at the January 6 insurrection as a covert FBI agent to foment the attack on Congress. Epps says he was at the Capitol that day because of Fox’s claim of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. A check of the facts shows that Epps has a strong case. (Poynter, July 18, 2023, by Jeff Cercone) Epp’s lawsuit notes that

Forces to fight election lies on the internet are shrinking as the 2024 presidential election looms. Artificial intelligence poses a real threat, allowing users to fake videos, photos and ads. Social media companies are cutting their content moderation staff, and conservative politicians are pressuring researchers who study internet lies. The recent injunction by a Texas federal judge weakens the federal government’s efforts to get accurate voting information out and fighting false rumors about the election.

Georgia election workers suing former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani for defamation claim he failed to turn over key text messages and emails that showed him conspiring with Trump lawyers and others to develop a fake case of election fraud against them. The election workers are asking a federal district judge to find for them in the defamation case or at the least demand that Giuliani turn over his electronic devices so authorities can search

A petition filed with the Federal Communications Commission would deny the license renewal of Fox TV station in Philadelphia. The petition says that the station is not just a business but also a public trust: “It is crucial to our democracy that broadcasting remain a trusted source of news. A company that knowingly and repeatedly presents false news just to placate its core viewers undermines that sense of trust. The false news presented by Fox