First Amendment

Arizona State University Responds to Concerns About Change.org

Stevie Converse — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:14:47 -0500

Full article: Arizona State University
Arizona State University responded to the public outcry against its decision to block the website Change.org. The University stated that, in order to seek a balance between free speech concerns "and protecting the university computing environment," it has "removed the restriction against site access from university computer resources."

Documentary Filmmaker Arrested at Congressional Hearing for Filming with a Different Opinion

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:24:41 -0500

Full article: TechDirt
Mike Masnick
In a rather troubling move, it appears that the leadership of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment had a documentary filmmaker arrested on Congressional property for daring to try to film a hearing that was taking place on the subject of "fracking" -- an issue for which this filmmaker, Josh Fox, is well known for covering in his documentary <em>Gasland</em>.

Memphis Police Delete Photographer's Cellphone Pictures

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:14:28 -0500

Full article: ABC 24
Jeni DiPrizio
If you are on a public street and take pictures or video of Memphis Police with your cellphone, you could end up in the back of a squad car and your pictures could be deleted. ABC 24 News photographer Casey Monroe said that's what happened to him. Police never charged Monroe with a crime, but this could happen to anyone with a cellphone camera.

Confused by SOPA? Five Multimedia Explainers

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:12:31 -0500

Full article: Media Bistro
Elana Zak
The Stop Online Privacy Piracy Act (SOPA) has generated a lot of press in the last few months. The controversial bill, along with its companion bill, Protect-IP Act (PIPA), intends to fight copyright infringement and piracy but has turned into a bitter battle between old and new media. Here are some interactive articles that explain the bill.

Judge: Indictment for Twitter Harassment Is Unconstitutional

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:50:57 -0500

Full article: Ars Technica
Timothy B. Lee
A federal judge ruled that prosecuting a man for writing harassing tweets directed at a prominent Buddhist religious leader violated the tweeter's First Amendment rights.

Mayor Bloomberg's First Amendment Problem

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:49:53 -0500

Full article: Huffington Post
Timothy Karr
Since the beginning of his crackdown against the Occupy Wall Street movement, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has gone to great lengths to present himself as a champion of the First Amendment. But the free speech rhetoric coming from City Hall hasn't matched the reality experienced by journalists at the front lines of the protest.

How Occupy Became This Century's Free Speech Movement

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:57:21 -0500

Full article: Wired
Quinn Norton
The Occupy movement took a turn for the symbolic in Berkeley last week, harkening back to a heritage of protest, social unrest and progressive causes. And, according to one former member of the Free Speech Movement, which began in the same spot, the implications of the Occupy movement could reverberate for a generation -- even if the protesters only force small institutional changes.

Department of Justice Still Wants New York Times Reporter's Sources

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:01:30 -0400

Full article: Politico
Josh Gerstein
In a move that could unleash a major First Amendment battle, the Justice Department is asking a federal appeals court to force a New York Times reporter to testify about his confidential sources at the trial of a Central Intelligence Agency officer accused of leaking top-secret information.

Media Minutes: September 2, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:20:55 -0400

The Justice Department delivered good news to consumers when it filed suit to block the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. A coalition of public interest and digital rights groups asked the FCC to declare that the Bay Area Rapid Transit system violated federal law when it shut down its cellphone service. And coverage of presidential candidate Ron Paul seems to be missing in the media, as the mainstream media uses its power to weed out candidates.

All of Justin Bieber's Music Removed from YouTube via 'Prank' DMCA Claims

Stevie Converse — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:12:04 -0400

Full article: TechDirt
Mike Masnick
A "prankster" was able to remove all of Justin Bieber's videos from YouTube by filing a bunch of bogus DMCA notices. While a lot of people find this amusing for one reason or another, it really highlights a key problem with the DMCA's notice-and-takedown process, which is a "censor now, deal with the consequences later" system. It seems like this process is a violation of the First Amendment.