Paramount and Trump settle, I talk 'WOW' w/ Nadine Strossen, & more!
Bringing you the latest free speech news (7/6/25)
Story of the week
A cold wind just blew through every newsroom this morning. Paramount may have closed this case, but it opened the door to the idea that the government should be the media’s editor-in-chief.
Trump has a long history of filing frivolous lawsuits to intimidate critics, and his targets have a long history of capitulating to avoid legal headaches. And here, he had the added tactic of using the FCC and its review of the multi-billion dollar Paramount-Skydance merger to bring added pressure to bear.
Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated. This settlement will only embolden the president to continue his flurry of baseless lawsuits against the press — and against the American people’s ability to hear the news free from government intrusion.
This week in ERI
This week in FIRE’s blog
In September 2024, as a form of silent protest against allowing a transgender athlete to play on the opposing girls’ soccer team against Bow High School, parents Kyle Fellers and Andy Foote donned pink “XX” wristbands during halftime. After about 10 minutes, school officials approached, along with a police officer, and demanded that the two parents remove the wristbands or leave the game.
To speak or not to speak: Universities face the Kalven question by Dinah Megibow-Taylor
The Kalven report issues a “heavy presumption” against making statements, “however appealing or compelling” the social or political value in question may be. This is partly because there is no escaping the question of who will decide which situations qualify as exceptional — there is no standard set by Kalven, simply the distinction of an “exceptional” circumstance. By issuing a statement at all, the situation risks chilling the speech of those who may disagree.
International free speech stories of the week
Turkey detains 3 magazine staff over prophet cartoon controversy (ABC)
Indian tech hub state pushes jail terms for 'fake news', sparks worries (Reuters) by Munsif Vengattil
After Glastonbury, Bob Vylan faces U.K. criminal investigation and U.S. visa revocation (NPR) by Fatima Al-Kassab
Video of the week
As those of you who read my book review of Jeff Rosen's masterpiece, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America, know, I'm a big fan of George Washington and really look up to him (despite the fact that we're actually the same height).
There was a thankfully short-lived fad of kind of dismissing him, but in light of the holiday, I've been reflecting on how incredibly lucky America was to have him, and what he was able to do in collaboration with another founding father, Alexander Hamilton, is absolutely astounding. But I think that reverence is one of the reasons why I never stopped finding this particular Brad Neely video ridiculously funny. He was indeed “twelve stories high [and] made of radiation!”
nope, they edited the content for a specific reason; that is a fact jack and that is not free speech; that is altered speech for a specific purpose; you have gone to the dark side on this one and I for one am not buying the fear mongering you are clearly intending. No free pass for the biased media; sorry, but not really.
I am no Trumpist. I never voted for him. But claims of US media receiving a crippling blow are simply drama. Compared with most countries' media, ours are free to say nearly anything. They even get away with innuendo or outright harmful misstatements, UNTIL someone actually calls them out.
As Martha Stewart would say, 'It's a good thing'.
Trump also has a loose mouth. If Trump makes any harmful statements, he can and should be sued too.
Public figures, law-makers not speaking from either House and private citisens need to be responsible adults, careful saying or writing only truth about others.
But that is no FUN! It doesn't attract as many news followers. Too bad.
What generally keeps news organisations from making up or slanting news? Nothing I know of.
Trump sued 60 Minutes for editing the Presidential Campaign Debate to make his opponent look half-intelligent. Such campaign meddling is specifically regulated by enacted law.
Tough Darts 60 MInutes!