Will Feature Articles by Constitutional Scholars, Attorneys, Experts

FOR RELEASE: October 20, 2017

Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-243-5700

Arlington, Va., October 20, 2017 – The Media Institute today launched a new online publication titled “First Amendment Trends” that will feature articles on timely developments related to free speech and free press. Articles will be written by members of the Institute’s First Amendment Advisory Council, a group of distinguished academic and legal experts.

The debut of the blog is timed to coincide with Free Speech Week, an annual celebratory event taking place this year from Oct. 16 to Oct. 22. Free Speech Week raises awareness of freedom of expression in the United States among all age groups and walks of life.

The inaugural version of “First Amendment Trends” features a foreword by veteran First Amendment attorney and litigator Floyd Abrams and articles by three legal scholars:

  • “The First Amendment: Rock Star of the American Constitution,” foreword by Floyd Abrams;
  • “But Is It ‘Speech’?” by Prof. Laurence H. Winer;
  • “Free Speech, Fake News, and Social Media” by Dean Rodney A. Smolla; and
  • “Truth of Facts Underlying Attribution to a Source: An Absolute Defense in Public Official Libel Context,” by John Bussian, Esq.

The blog can be accessed on the homepage of The Media Institute’s website at www.mediainstitute.org. New articles will appear on a regular basis and will cover a wide array of legal, regulatory, and other developments related to the First Amendment.

Kurt Wimmer, Esq., chairman of the Institute’s First Amendment Advisory Council, serves as coordinator of editorial content. “This blog will be a source of fresh and insightful commentary on First Amendment developments,” he said, “and Free Speech Week is without doubt the perfect time to launch it.” Institute Executive Director Richard Kaplar serves as editor.

The Media Institute is a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment. For more information, visit the Institute online at www.mediainstitute.org. For details on Free Speech Week, visit the FSW website at www.freespeechweek.org.

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