News & Opinion

Social media companies are gearing for a avalanche of lies during the election season. The plans look similar to those employed in earlier campaigns, inadequate for combating falsehoods. (The New York Times, August 23, 2022, by Stuart A. Thompson) Three British academics conducted a study to test a theory that videos posted on YouTube could help people recognize lies on social media. The videos sought to “immunize” viewers against manipulation techniques and logical fallacies. (NiemanLab,

The California Supreme Court applied the anti-SLAPP law in dismissing a lawsuit brought by an executive against picketers in front of his home. The court reasoned that although the dispute was private, the picketers were spotlighting an issue of great public interest, real estate practices that many find destabilizing. (Metropolitan News-Enterprise, August 30, 2022, by a Staff Writer)

A federal district judge, Mark Walker, found Florida governor’s “Stop WOKE Act,” restricting talk of race in schools and the workplace, failed to meet constitutional standards for free speech. Wrote Walker, “Normally, the First Amendment bars the state from burdening speech, while private actors may burden speech freely. But in Florida, the First Amendment apparently bars private actors from burdening speech, while the state may burden speech freely.” (New York Post, August 19, 2022, by

A Washington Post editorial, August 18, 2022, laments that politicians are placing restrictions on journalists trying to cover the news. The worst offenders have been candidates backed by former president Donald Trump. The Post writes, “These trends don’t just hinder media coverage. They also insulate would-be leaders from tough questions and thorny issues. Mostly, they hurt voters by leaving them less informed.” Chris Quinn, the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, rejected ground rules for