Discusses two decisions of the United States Supreme Court that elevated the public's First Amendment rights over those of the press: Red Lion Broadcasting v FCC (1969) and Miami Herald v Tornillo (1974). (AEA)

The press and public should have access to pretrial discovery documents in civil litigation when matters of public concern are at issue. Recently, the Supreme Court expanded the public's First Amendment right of access to criminal proceedings, and based on that, some lower courts have granted access to civil trials. In its decisions establishing…

The way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his nearly 37-year reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law is considered in this paper. Among the topics discussed are the 1964 "Sullivan" decision, which held that a public official must prove "actual…

Considers the way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law. (GT)

Recent rulings of the United States Supreme Court and other courts have tried to maintain a balance between a free and unintimidated press and some measure of protection for individuals against libelous accusations. The language of recent rulings suggests that the courts are focusing on impartiality and objectivity in reporting as a standard of…

The 11 articles in this collection deal with theoretical and practical freedom of speech issues. The topics covered are (1) the United States Supreme Court and communication theory; (2) truth, knowledge, and a democratic respect for diversity; (3) denial of freedom of speech in Jock Yablonski's campaign for the presidency of the United Mine…

The free press/fair trial controversy hinges on two distinctions: "decorum" (the general manner in which a trial is comported) vs. "substance" (the actual content of information relating to a trial, including both evidentiary and nonevidentiary information), and behavior within vs. behavior outside of the courtroom. Four major Supreme Court…

An attorney for the plaintiffs in the "Smith vs. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County, Alabama" case recounts his impressions of the trial, focusing on the nature of the press coverage. (NKA)