Communications Act of 1934 (1934)
The Communications Act of 1934 regulated television and radio. Broadcasters have public obligations, which serve as a limit on their First Amendment rights. The post Communications Act of 1934 (1934)...
View ArticleClassified Documents
The Supreme Court in 1971 ruled that the government cannot restrain in advance the press from publishing classified documents under the First Amendment. The post Classified Documents appeared first on...
View ArticleChilling Effect
Chilling effect is the concept of deterring First Amendment free speech and association rights through laws or regulations that appear to target expression. The post Chilling Effect appeared first on...
View ArticleCensorship
Censorship occurs when individuals or groups try to prevent others from expressing themselves. Government censorship violates the freedoms of speech and of the press. The post Censorship appeared first...
View ArticleCameras in the Courtroom
Allowing cameras in courtrooms has stirred controversy and led to Supreme Court decisions in First Amendment cases. The Court has allowed states to experiment with this issue. The post Cameras in the...
View ArticleBroadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 (2005)
The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act increased fines for violating indecency standards. First Amendment advocates are concerned about the act's chilling effect on speech. The post Broadcast Decency...
View ArticleAutopsies and Treatment of the Dead
Sometimes state autopsy laws conflict with religious objections to such procedures, bringing into play First Amendment questions of religious liberty. Public access to autopsy records of the government...
View ArticleActual Malice
Actual malice is the legal standard the Supreme Court uses to protect the media in libel cases in determining when public officials or figures may win damages in lawsuits. The post Actual Malice...
View ArticleAccess to Courtrooms
Although the First Amendment doesn't mention freedom of access to courtrooms, the Supreme Court has held that the public right to attend criminal proceedings is implied. The post Access to Courtrooms...
View ArticleAlexander Contee Hanson and the Baltimore Riot of 1812
In 1812, a violent mob broke into a Baltimore newspaper office and attacked its owner Alexander Contee Hanson, whose articles opposing the War of 1812 angered them. In an example of lack of protection...
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