SUPREME COURT WATCH: FREE PRESS FOCUS
For decades, the Supreme Court’s decisions have both extended and restricted free press protections through the interpretation of the First Amendment in cases that have come before it. The Court continues to hear such cases to this day. The News/Media Alliance monitors these cases and participates in amicus briefs where appropriate, in an effort to protect the rights of news and magazine media.
We’ve provided summaries of each of the major Supreme Court decisions from the 2022-2023 term that implicate the free press. To discover how these rulings could impact the work of journalists and their protections afforded under the First Amendment, click “Read More” below.
Some of the cases the Supreme Court has agreed to hear, but has not yet decided, that the Alliance will be monitoring include:
– O’Connor-Ratcliff V. Garnier – This case asks the Court to consider whether the first amendment prohibits public officials from blocking critics on social media. The ruling could affect journalists, whose contributions to online discussion and gaining information on public officials could be restricted.
– Netchoice & CCIA v. Moody – The case asks the Court whether Florida Senate Bill 7072, and its compelled disclosure requirements, complies with the First Amendment. The bill aims to protect Floridians from censorship by Big Tech but was found unconstitutional by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
– Netchoice v. Paxton – The case considers whether the Supreme Court should restrict Texas from enforcing Texas House Bill 20, related to the censorship of free speech and digital expression. The District Court’s preliminary injunction prohibited the state from enforcing the Bill, holding that the First Amendment protects the editorial independence of social media platforms, and now the Court will decide whether to reinstate it.
Research compiled by Kayla Singer
Latest Rulings
Supreme Court Declines to Revisit NYT v. Sullivan, though Justice Thomas Wants to Revisit it in Future
303 Creative LLC v. Elenis
Counterman v. Colorado
United States v. Hansen
Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC
