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A Movie on How ABC Covered the Massacre of Israeli Athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics
The film presents many journalistic ethical questions which perhaps first played out in this dramatic 1972 situation, but have recurred often since then; and, perhaps most important in these depressing times where the media has been beaten down by everyone from the President to voices of public opinion, it makes journalists look good, if not…
Ninth Circuit Reverses Copyright Lawsuit Against Aritzia, Opening Up Possibility of Copyright Protection for Kinetic Sculpture
The Ninth Circuit noted that “copyrightability of kinetic and manipulable sculptures” is “an area of copyright law that has not yet received much attention” and “may be better informed with a more complete factual record.”
Former Northwestern Baseball Coach’s Defamation Claim Dismissed with Prejudice
The Tribune argued that the Illinois innocent construction rule required dismissal of all claims because the statements describing Foster’s coaching style as tough or demanding did not necessarily call into question his integrity or ability to do his job.
Defamation Lawsuit against Baby Reindeer Survives Motion to Dismiss
The court held that plaintiff, Scottish law graduate Fiona Harvey, sufficiently pled that the series was “of and concerning” her and published with actual malice. Key to the court’s ruling was an opening title card stating “this is a true story” which it found outweighed a disclaimer at the end of each episode that the…
Court Dismisses Implied Defamation Claims Brought by Former Principal in New York Philharmonic
The opinion from the Southern District of New York found that neither a longform article nor statements made by its author on a podcast intended to imply defamatory statements about the plaintiff.
Fox News SLAPPs Defamation Suit, Wins Attorney Fees in District Court
A former Hunter Biden business partner faced a double loss in the Southern District of New York late last year. Anthony Bobulinski’s $30 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov, filed after the co-host of “The Five” said that a Trump Super PAC paid his legal fees, couldn’t survive a motion to dismiss under…
Ohio Enacts Anti-SLAPP Law
For years, the absence of an Anti-SLAPP law left Ohio news outlets vulnerable to lawsuits bankrolled by powerful interests seeking to suppress truthful reporting. The state's new law aims to level the playing field.
In Texas, Free-Speech Advocates Gear Up for Another Anti-SLAPP Fight
With big money and political influence still pushing SB 336, free speech advocates expect another bitter fight that could go the full 140 days.
Truth, Information Quality, and the Increasingly Complex Work of the MLRC
The value of truth is not always as useful a signpost as it once was when thinking about the First Amendment.
Utah Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against Newspaper Under Uniform Public Expression Protection Act
A Utah state district court recently dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against a weekly newspaper in what is believed to be the first application of the state’s new Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA) to news reporting.