■ Even though he is 92, Murdoch’s retirement announcement was a surprise to some observers.
■ An order restricting the Biden administration from asking social media companies to remove content it deemed misinformation was put on hold again by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
■ Disinformation retains the basic characteristics of speech, making it protected from censorship under the First Amendment, contended The Hill’s opinion contributor, Lynn Greenky.
Challenging works. Book bans have continued at a record pace, the American Library Association announced, as it has tracked nearly 700 challenges to materials and services.
■ For those curious about banned titles, PEN America shared the list of the most-banned books from the last school year.
■ Public notices, critical funding sources for small newspapers, are becoming targets for retaliation by government officials.
■ Minority journalists have urged philanthropists who are trying to boost community news organizations to explicitly commit to funding minority-run outlets.
Bigly dispute? The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a federal decision to grant a trademark for the phrase “Trump Too Small,” a cheeky criticism of the former president.
■ Any push to gag Donald Trump may pit free speech against the risk of violence, contended national-security expert Charlie Savage in a New York Times analysis.
■ Nine out of 10 U.S. voters think First Amendment protections for freedom of speech is a good thing, according to a new RealClear Opinion Research poll.
■ Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has backed away from imposing widespread restrictions on the public’s access to government records.
Truck flag flies. A Louisiana town has repealed an anti-obscenity ordinance, allowing a driver to fly a vulgar flag aimed at President Biden.
■ Quietly holding up signs is protected free speech, reasoned a Nashville communications professional in a Tennessee Lookout commentary.
■ Arrests of “Cop City” protesters are chilling assaults on free speech, opined Atlanta civil rights attorney Nora Benavidez in Rolling Stone.
■ Big Oil is using friendly judges to suppress free speech, especially climate protests, suggested investigative journalist Amy Westervelt in a MSNBC commentary.
Sturm and drag. The cancellation of a drag show planned at a Texas university did not violate free-speech rights, a U.S. district judge has ruled.
■ The landmark civil rights-era libel case New York Times v. Sullivan is explored in a new video documentary from Annenberg Classroom.
■ A California law that bans gun ads aimed at minors likely violates the First Amendment, a federal appeals court has ruled.
■ James Hoge, who led big-city tabloid newspapers in Chicago and New York, has passed away.
Truck flag flies. A Louisiana town has repealed an anti-obscenity ordinance, allowing a driver to fly a vulgar flag aimed at President Biden.
■ Quietly holding up signs is protected free speech, reasoned a Nashville communications professional in a Tennessee Lookout commentary.
■ Arrests of “Cop City” protesters are chilling assaults on free speech, opined Atlanta civil rights attorney Nora Benavidez in Rolling Stone.
■ Big Oil is using friendly judges to suppress free speech, especially climate protests, suggested investigative journalist Amy Westervelt in a MSNBC commentary.
Sturm and drag. The cancellation of a drag show planned at a Texas university did not violate free-speech rights, a U.S. district judge has ruled.
■ The landmark civil rights-era libel case New York Times v. Sullivan is explored in a new video documentary from Annenberg Classroom.
■ A California law that bans gun ads aimed at minors likely violates the First Amendment, a federal appeals court has ruled.
■ James Hoge, who led big-city tabloid newspapers in Chicago and New York, has passed away.