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cover of episode The Right-Wing Plot to ‘Murder’ a Free Press

The Right-Wing Plot to ‘Murder’ a Free Press

2025/3/13
logo of podcast Power User with Taylor Lorenz

Power User with Taylor Lorenz
AI Chapters Transcript
Chapters
This chapter explores the background and impact of the landmark Supreme Court decision in New York Times v. Sullivan, which established the actual malice standard, significantly transforming journalism in the United States.
  • New York Times v. Sullivan established the actual malice standard, protecting media against erroneous lawsuits.
  • This ruling enabled journalists to scrutinize public figures without undue fear of litigation.
  • The decision was pivotal in allowing aggressive coverage of events like the Vietnam War and Watergate.

Shownotes Transcript

In 1964, the Supreme Court passed a landmark case called The New York Times v Sullivan, that established the right to a free press by protecting the media against erroneous lawsuits. The ruling has been instrumental in allowing journalists to scrutinize public figures, powerful corporations, and political leaders without undue fear of litigation.

But now, that landmark decision is in jeopardy thanks to a coordinated right wing legal effort that's been decades in the making. 

David Enrich's forthcoming book, Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful, delves into the organized efforts by elite individuals to challenge longstanding free speech protections and suppress dissenting voices.

David joins me discuss the origins of this legal assault, its implications for investigative journalism in both new media and old, and what this all means for the future of free speech in America.​

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