Jake Wunsch
The Nevada Supreme Court reverses the district court’s dismissal of a defamation claim by billionaire, Republican activist, and casino magnate Steve Wynn against the Associated Press and its reporter.
Nevada Fair Report Privilege Does Not Apply to Citizen Complaints to Police, Absent Some Official Government Action
The Nevada Supreme Court reverses the district court’s dismissal of a defamation claim by billionaire, Republican activist, and casino magnate Steve Wynn against the Associated Press and its reporter.
New York Times Wins Dismissal of Libel Suit by Anti-Immigration Writer Peter Brimelow
SDNY Judge dismissed the case in December after finding that many of the statements at issue were non-actionable opinion or not ‘of and concerning’ Brimelow, and that Brimelow could not plausibly show actual malice as to any of the claims.
Judge in George Floyd Prosecutions Allows Cameras in the Courtroom
Finding that an overflow room is no substitute for in-person attendance, the judge overseeing the prosecutions of the four men charged in the death of George Floyd recently ordered that “[a]udio and video recording, broadcasting and streaming will be allowed” of the trial.
Emily Bazelon on the Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearings, the First Amendment and Disinformation, and Election Chaos
An edited transcription of a conversation with journalist, book author, legal scholar and podcaster Emily Bazelon.
Maggie Haberman, Jenna Johnson and Jennifer Epstein on Presidential Campaign Reporting in a Time of Pandemic: A Redux of the 2019 MLRC Annual Dinner Program
Six months after speaking at the MLRC Dinner, and two months into the coronavirus outbreak, we invited a group of esteemed women journalists back to discuss reporting on the campaign in the middle of a pandemic.
First Challenge to a State Drone Law Allowed to Proceed on First Amendment Grounds
In the first ruling on a challenge to a restrictive state drone law, a federal judge has held that Texas’ content-based restrictions on drone photography implicate the First Amendment rights of journalists, and that a case challenging that law may move forward.
All About the Story: A Conversation with Leonard Downie, Jr.
An edited transcript of the December 15, 2020 Zoom conversation with former Washington Post editor Downie led by media attorney, David Bodney, founder of Ballard Spahr’s Media and Entertainment Law Group.
D.C. Anti-SLAPP Statute Requires a Hearing
Appeals court rules D.C. Anti-SLAPP statute requires that the court hold a “a real-time, interactive” hearing on an anti-SLAPP motion and that the prima facie requirement should be construed “liberally” to include “intermixing public and private interests.”
Court Tosses Journalist’s Lawsuit Against Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Denying Her Admission
A California federal court dismissed a Norwegian journalist’s complaint against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association over the organization’s repeated rejection of her application for membership.
Trump Campaign Admits Defeat (In Wisconsin Defamation Case Against Local Broadcaster)
A week after President Trump lost re-election, his campaign committee abruptly dropped its Wisconsin defamation lawsuit over a super PAC’s political advertisement criticizing the President’s handling of the COVID pandemic.