Keywords

newspapers, litigants, First Amendment, Supreme Court

Abstract

Newspapers have been involved as litigants in some of the most significant First Amendment cases to come before the U.S. Supreme Court. Particularly since the groundbreaking case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan in 1964, newspapers have played a prominent role in Supreme Court cases that have defined many important points of First Amendment doctrine and have tested the nation's commitment to freedom of expression. Newspapers have successfully challenged, among other regulations, strict liability for defamation, a mandatory right of reply for political candidates, prior restraint of publication and a courtroom closure order in a high-profile state murder trial. But not all important Supreme Court cases involving newspapers in the last four-and-a-half decades have resulted in victories for newspapers. Among others, newspapers or their reporters have lost cases on journalist's privilege,6 libel7 and copyright law.

Original Publication Citation

Carter, Edward L., Phillips, James C. "Newspaper vs. Non-Newspaper Litigants in the U.S. Supreme Court, 1964-21." Newspaper Research Journal. (27).