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Our mission at the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law is to provide high-quality, comprehensive overview, discussion, and analysis of current issues in media law and ethics. Thank you for reading the Bulletin.
2024 Summer: Volume 29, Number 3
Below is the Table of Contents for the 2024 Summer edition of the Silha Bulletin. Click on the title to read the full article.
Cover Story: Supreme Court Outlines How First Amendment Protections May Apply to Social Media Platforms; Conservative Justices Advance Competing Theories
On July 1, 1024, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Moody v. NetChoice LLC, giving insight into how the First Amendment applies to social media platforms, and whether their content moderation activities amount to protected speech.
Supreme Court: Supreme Court Roundup: Supreme Court Considers Three First Amendment Cases, Punting on One
Grappling with three free expression cases this term, the Supreme Court upheld the federal law prohibiting trademarking a living person’s name — in this case, former President Donald Trump’s — without consent.
Journalism Ethics: The Justice Alito Controversy: Justice Mired in Ethics Controversies Is Surreptitiously Recorded, Raising Journalism Ethics Questions
Recent Controversies have placed Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito at the center of debate surrounding the Supreme Court and journalism ethics.
Journalism Ethics: Star Tribune’s Publisher’s Communications with Members of the Minnesota Governor’s Administration Raise Ethical Concerns
Steve Grove, the publisher of the Minneapolis-based Minnesota Star Tribune, maintained ties with Minn. Gov. Tim Walz’s administration after leaving his role as economic development commissioner, according to texts obtained by the Minnesota Reformer and published on June 12, 2024.
Freedom of Speech: X, Texas and Missouri Attorneys General Sue Watchdog Media Matters, Testing Government and Corporate Power to Suppress Critical Speech
Since late 2023, the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters has been embroiled in litigation, having been sued by both X, the social media giant formerly known as Twitter, and two state attorneys general.
Defamation: Mississippi Nonprofit News Organization Ordered to Turn Over Confidential Sources in Defamation Suit by Former Governor; Appeals Order to State Supreme Court
On May 16, 2024, Judge Bradley Mills of the Circuit Court of Madison County, Miss., issued an order directing Mississippi Today to produce internal emails and the names of sources related to a defamation suit brought by former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant in July 2023.
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange Pleads Guilty, Avoids Extradition to United States
On June 24, 2024, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Julian Assange had reached a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Endangered Journalists: Journalists Detained by Russia Freed in Prisoner Exchange
On August 1, 2024, Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained by Russia for over a year on suspicion of espionage, was released as part of a larger prisoner exchange.
Endangered Journalists: Journalist Masha Gessen Convicted and Sentenced by Russian Court
On July 15, 2024, Russian-American journalist and author Masha Gessen, who uses they/them pronouns, was convicted in absentia and given a sentence by Basmanny district court in Moscow on charges of disseminating “fake” information about the Russian military’s action in Ukraine.
Media Bans: The Moscow Times Designated an “Undesirable Organization” by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office
On July 10, 2024, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported that Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s office had labeled the bilingual Russian/English news outlet The Moscow Times as an “undesirable organization.”
Media Bans: Israel Bans Al Jazeera
Following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli leaders have sought to silence foreign news organizations they consider threats to national security.
Campus Protests: Journalists in Danger, First Amendment Rights Threatened, at Campus Protests Over Israel-Hamas War
As spring moved into summer, protests over the Israel-Hamas war continued on college campuses.
George Floyd Riots: Update: Photojournalist Linda Tirado, Injured by Police During George Floyd Riots, Enters Hospice Care
Photojournalist Linda Tirado, who was blinded in her left eye on May 29, 2020, when she was hit with a rubber bullet shot by police, has entered hospice care, suggesting she is dying.
Legislative Updates: Privacy Law Updates: First Amendment Implications
The proposal and enactment of data privacy laws in 2024 has led to debate over the First Amendment implications of this legislation.
Court Access: Courthouse News: Media Access to Court Records
On March 13, 2024, Courthouse News Service (Courthouse News) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, alleging that the Superior Court’s failure to make civil complaints immediately available to the public deprives the public of breaking news and violates the First Amendment.
Silha Center Events: Professor Jacob Mchangama to Deliver 39th Annual Silha Lecture
The 39th annual Silha Lecture will take place on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, and will feature Professor Jacob Mchangama, the founder and executive director of The Future of Free Speech, an independent, non-partisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University.