Courts have already made it clear that presidential candidate Governor Ron DeSantis’ Florida laws restricting teaching about race, banning corporate diversity training and limiting public protests are running afoul of the First Amendment. It may be rough sledding to convince Republican voters that he’s a successful warrior in the cultural wars. (HuffPost, May 27, 2023, by Paul Blumenthal)
A check on free press protections for journalists showed 30 incidents in 2022 in which journalists faced legal pressures to testify in court or turn over their notes. Good news came in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s approval of a new policy prohibiting federal prosecutors from demanding journalists’ records. Journalists can now pursue stories of great important including about war in Ukraine without fear of being subjected to subpoenas or search warrants. (Reporters Committee for Freedom
A survey of 5,000 residents in eight local news markets revealed the following about what they want from local news: (The American Journalism Project, May 23, 2023, by Loretta Chao)
Conservative website The Daily Signal discovered that Fox News is complying with New York city and state laws concerning accommodations for transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming employees. A Fox spokesperson confirmed that the company had enacted polices compliant with all Human Rights laws. (Business Insider, May 23, 2023, by Natalie Musumeci and Grace Eliza Goodwin) Fox News has been broadcasting hundreds of segments attacking trans people and providing forums for hateful transphobic guests. Conservatives are
Former president Donald Trump is suing the Washington Post for $3.78 billion claiming the Post defamed them by reporting that Truth Social platform may have committed securities fraud. An article alleged that the company concealed details from the Securities and Exchange Commission about a proposed merger. (The Independent, May 23, 2023, by Bevan Hurley) Defamation lawyer Camron Dowlatshahi said that Trump would have difficulty making the case the requires a showing of actual malice given