At a time when the First Amendment is being tested and questioned – perhaps more than ever before – it is important that we reflect on where we are and where we are going in the face of the vast technological changes that are impacting our press and our democratic systems, especially the rise of the big tech platforms and their role in making editorial decisions previously delegated to newspaper publishers.
While a federal shield law would not supersede state laws, protection on the federal level would send a clear message about the importance of preserving the relationships journalists have with their sources.
LawView tracks state and federal bills that would affect news media publishers. Currently, we’re following legislative proposals falling in one of eight different topics as they pertain to news media: drones, online political ad disclosure, anti-SLAPP, federal, public notices, Freedom of Information Act, First Amendment and telemarketing.
Around the world, journalists put themselves in danger every day to deliver the news and inform the public. Some of those reporters work in deadly war zones, while others are under attack from tyrannical leaders and under political pressure to keep quiet about the truth they see. Yet, every single day, journalists around the world go to work to report the news and tell the people in their communities what they need to know. Tragically, many journalists never make it home to see the impact their work has had.
News Media Alliance President and CEO David Chavern today called on the major technology platforms, namely Facebook and Google, to take responsibility for the role they play in deciding, via their “secret algorithms,” how and to whom news is distributed, and the subsequent impact of those decisions on civil society.
