This is the Daily Media Update published by the Institute for Free Speech. For press inquiries, please contact [email protected].
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In the News
By Jack Applewhite
.....A history professor alleged his colleague was terminated by a California college for sharing his conservative political beliefs, according to a lawsuit filed on June 1.
The Institute for Free Speech is representing Bakersfield College Professor Daymon Johnson in a lawsuit that alleges his colleague, Professor Matthew Garrett, was terminated by Bakersfield College in April after expressing political beliefs through newspaper op-eds and radio show appearances, according to the text. Garrett was targeted based on his comments that included the defense of the term “cultural Marxism,” according to the Institute for Free Speech.
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New from the Institute for Free Speech
By Alec Greven
.....We have a changing of the guard at Twitter. The company’s announcement of a new CEO provides a golden opportunity to enshrine its commitment to free speech.
New CEO Linda Yaccarino has signaled an openness to protect free expression. She has said that Twitter’s leadership will gather continual feedback and that she agrees that free speech is the bedrock of the United States.
This is encouraging, but broad statements aren’t enough. Just like our system of government, Twitter needs checks and balances to robustly protect free speech. Creating a meaningful appeals process and installing dedicated “free speech defenders” would help achieve that goal.
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Donor Privacy
By Heather Lauer
.....Unfortunately, violence is not unfamiliar to both pro-choice and pro-life advocates. Two examples out of Colorado highlight the potential danger Americans face when engaged in this policy debate.
In 2015, a shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic tragically led to the deaths of three people and injuries to nine others...
Then, just last year, the Life Choices pregnancy center in Longmont, Colorado was vandalized and set on fire following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs...
Both cases are real-life examples of what extremists are willing to do for their cause. There are no rules of engagement.
If the law in Colorado required the names and home addresses of donors to Planned Parenthood or Life Choices to be reported to the government and publicized in a publicly accessible database, both of these chilling attacks could have turned out much worse. The Planned Parenthood shooter could have targeted donors at their homes or places of business, and the Life Choices arsonists could have taken their protest to the doorsteps of those supporters’ homes.
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Free Expression
By Tony Kinnett
.....A gay fifth grade teacher in Glendale, California, was placed on leave after complaining at a school board meeting that his school promotes transgenderism.
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Online Speech Platforms
By Karissa Bell
.....According to the report, Meta reversed its initial moderation decision in almost two-thirds of cases they were picked for the Oversight Board’s shortlist, which “raises wider questions both about the accuracy of Meta's content moderation and the appeals process.”
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By Carl Szabo
.....Europe may end up banning Twitter for protecting free speech.
Following the creation of its Code of Practice on Disinformation , the European Union has given Twitter a choice: Submit or be gone. Under the EU’s new code, Twitter would be required to remove any content the governing body deems as “disinformation,” though it never clearly defines what that term means. So far, owner Elon Musk is resisting, recognizing that how European regulators choose to enforce this rule will likely run counter to his mission for free speech.
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The Media
By Seth Stern
.....We’ve written plenty about the case against Asheville Blade journalists Veronica Coit and Matilda Bliss for covering an eviction of a homeless encampment. The prosecution’s theory — that, by scheduling a highly newsworthy operation at a public park for after closing time, police can operate in secret and arrest any journalist who attempts to record them — is absurd and alarming. A coalition of almost 50 press rights and civil liberties organizations and media publishers has condemned the charges.
But it appears that their prosecutions (they're scheduled for a jury trial on June 12) may only be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Asheville authorities’ hostility to press and speech freedoms.
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The States
By Andrew Powell
.....Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Tuesday a bill that creates a Digital Bill of Rights for Floridians.
Senate Bill 262 sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, creates the Digital Bill of Rights, which includes the right to control personal data and the right to delete, confirm, and access personal data on social media platforms.
The bill also requires that large search engines like Google to disclose whether they are prioritizing their search results based on political ideology and prevents government-led censorship. State and local government employees are prohibited from communicating with social media platforms to censor content or accounts.
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By Nick Reisman
.....Potential changes to New York's newly created system of publicly funded political campaigns is drawing rebukes from good-government advocates and Republican lawmakers alike.
Democrats who control both chambers of the state Legislature are expected to introduce a bill this week that would lift the cap for public money that matches campaign contributions.
Currently, contributions are matched with public money starting at $250 or lower. Lawmakers are expected to propose higher donations that would qualify for the same match.
For now, no agreement has been reached on the specifics.
"It's still a live discussion," Senate Elections Committee Chairman Zellnor Myrie said on Tuesday morning. "Time is short with many things on our plate, but it's still being discussed."
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By Kathryn Carley
.....Lawmakers in Maine are considering legislation to allow candidates seeking county level offices to receive taxpayer funds under the Maine Clean Election Act.
The landmark 1996 law was the first in the nation to create a voluntary program of full public financing for gubernatorial, state senate and state representative campaigns.
Anna Keller, executive director of Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, said the bill is needed as outside spending on county level candidates is increasing, especially for sheriff races.
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By Jake Zuckerman
.....Legislation passed by the Ohio Senate last month to make sweeping changes to universities’ rules around alleged political bias or the teaching of “controversial beliefs” will shoulder them with new costs and lost revenues, colleges say.
The findings – aggregated by the Inter-University Council of Ohio after surveying its member colleges on an early draft of the bill – offer the first quantitative look at Senate Bill 83.
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Read an article you think we would be interested in? Send it to Tiffany Donnelly at [email protected]. For email filters, the subject of this email will always begin with "Institute for Free Speech Media Update."
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The Institute for Free Speech is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and defends the political rights to free speech, press, assembly, and petition guaranteed by the First Amendment. Please support the Institute's mission by clicking here. For further information, visit www.ifs.org.
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