Daunting Challenges Facing Journalists Cited During Free Speech Week FOR RELEASE: October 22, 2019 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-243-5700 Arlington, Va., October 22, 2019 – “America has always set the standard for press freedom around the world. Sadly, that is no longer the case.” This chilling assessment came today from Frederick J. [...]
Annual Celebration Promotes Free Speech and Free Press FOR RELEASE: October 18, 2019 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-243-5700 Arlington, Va., October 18, 2019 – Free Speech Week (FSW) begins Monday, Oct. 21, and will continue through Sunday, Oct. 27. This national event will be an opportunity for media groups, schools, universities, and [...]
By Jessica Campisi and Chris Mills Rodrigo, The Hill, 10-17-19 Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Oct. 17 defended his company’s controversial decision of allowing politicians to post political ads with misleading or false claims on its platform, saying it’s “something we have to live with.” “People worry, and I worry deeply, too, about [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org. The brief concurred with the Eleventh Circuit that Georgia cannot copyright its official code, and by extension, the annotations to that code. The brief argued that the government edicts doctrine at issue [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 10-16-19 With the dissenting vote of Democrat Geoffrey Starks joining that of Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel earlier in the day, the FCC has now voted 3-2 to approve the T-Mobile-Sprint merger. The Republican majority had voted earlier to approve, giving the deal the necessary votes, but the Democrats had [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 10-8-19 FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks says only when the FCC and the nation does more to diversify media voices can broadcasting be said to uphold its responsibilities to the First Amendment and a free press. That was the gist of his speech at The Media Institute's annual Free [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Martin v. Rollins. The brief argued that the First Amendment protects the right to gather and publish news on matters of public interest – including the activities of government officials [...]
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks To Deliver Keynote Address FOR RELEASE: October 4, 2019 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-243-5700 Arlington, Va., October 4, 2019 – The Media Institute will bestow awards on Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, and Caroline Beasley, CEO of Beasley Media Group, LLC, at [...]
Participated in a letter (with the Reporters Committee and other news media organizations) sent to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. The letter requested that the Court provide live audio access to oral argument in a number of upcoming cases regarding nondiscrimination and the DACA immigration plan, citing strong nationwide interest [...]
By Anick Jesdanun, AP, washingtonpost.com, 10-3-19 U.S. Attorney General William Barr and other U.S., U.K. and Australian officials are pressing Facebook to give authorities a way to read encrypted messages sent by ordinary users, re-igniting tensions between tech companies and law enforcement. Facebook’s WhatsApp already uses so-called end-to-end encryption, which locks up messages so that [...]