Shooting the Messenger and Blaming the Victim
How cops, politicians, and bureaucrats tried to dodge responsibility in 2024
First Amendment
Activists Tried To Cancel a Record Number of Campus Events in 2024
164 events or speakers were targeted, mostly over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
We Don't Need Terrorism Laws When Murder Is Already Illegal
The government has given itself special powers to deal with crimes that it could already prosecute.
The Spending Bill Would Fund Censorship
Republicans should not give any more money to the Global Engagement Center.
Trump Mounts a 'Direct Assault on the First Amendment' by Portraying Journalism As Consumer Fraud
The president-elect's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register is a patently frivolous and constitutionally dubious attempt to intimidate the press.
Holiday Spending Spree
Plus: More funding for the "disinformation" censors, more fines for cashless businesses, the link between pandemic shutdowns and murder rates, and more...
Given George Stephanopoulos' Carelessness, ABC's Defamation Settlement With Trump Seems Prudent
The host of This Week repeatedly and inaccurately asserted that Trump had been "found liable for rape."
Mike Lee's App Store Accountability Act Would Make Google and Apple Check IDs
Lee says this is about "sexual and violent content." It goes far beyond that.
Support Reason To Support Free Speech and Open Debate
Your donations help us keep the culture of free speech alive.
When Deciding Whether To Investigate His Opponents, Trump Says, He Will Defer to 'Very Fair' Kash Patel
Trump's pick to run the FBI has a long list of enemies he plans to "come after," with the legal details to be determined later.
Intrusive Small Business Reporting Law Slapped With Nationwide Injunction
A judge says the federal law has no constitutional basis and threatens First and Fourth Amendment rights.
D.C. Circuit Court Upholds TikTok Ban, Prioritizing 'National Security' Over Free Speech
The popular but beleaguered social media app will have until January 19 to find an American buyer or be banned.
Kash Patel's Threats Against Journalists Make Him an Alarming Choice To Run the FBI
"We're gonna come after the people in the media," the Trump stalwart warns. "Whether it's criminally or civilly, we'll figure that out."
Backpage Founder Michael Lacey Released on Bail
Lacey can await the resolution of his appeal outside of prison.
Deepfake Crackdowns Threaten Free Speech
From criminal penalties to bounty hunters, state laws targeting election-related synthetic media raise serious First Amendment concerns.
Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Beef With NewsGuard Is Legally Dubious and Empirically Shaky
The company, which says it takes an "apolitical approach" to rating news outlets, faces regulatory threats and a congressional probe because of its perceived bias against conservatives.
An Alabama D.A. Filed Legally Impossible Charges Against School Board Members Who Crossed Him
A board employee and a local reporter were arrested on the same bogus charge of divulging nonexistent grand jury secrets.
The New FCC Chairman's Agenda Contradicts Conservative Principles
Brendan Carr’s plans for "reining in Big Tech" are a threat to limited government, free speech, free markets, and the rule of law.
Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms
"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.
Texas Bill Takes Aim at Online Speech About Abortion Pills
Abortion battles are becoming tech policy battles.
Federal Judge Blocks Law Mandating Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana Classrooms
The law "is not neutral toward religion," wrote Judge John W. deGravelles, who ruled that the law was "facially unconstitutional."
Biden Admin Stops Telling Americans Which Foreigners They Can Debate
The Treasury Department tried to stop an overseas conference that included politicians under sanctions. Now they’re backing down.
During Trump's Second Term, the Supreme Court's Critics Will Be Grateful for Its Restraining Influence
The justices, including Trump's nominees, have shown they are willing to defy his will when they think the law requires it.
Trump Has Many Grudges. Now He Has a Chance To Act on Them.
In his second term, the former and future president will have more freedom to follow his worst instincts.
Trump's Legal Complaints Against 2 News Outlets Reflect His Disregard for Freedom of the Press
The Republican presidential candidate argues that CBS and The Washington Post broke the law by covering the election in ways he did not like.
Citizen Journalism Is Under Attack. This Texas Woman Is Fighting to Save It.
After being arrested for doing journalism, Priscilla Villarreal has taken her fight to the courts.
'Let Parents Decide' What Kids Can Do Online, Argue Tech Groups in New Lawsuit
The groups are challenging a Florida law that bans some teens from social media.
How the Feds Destroyed Backpage.com and Its Founders
By prosecuting the website's founders, the government chilled free speech online and ruined lives.
What the Past Can Teach Us About Our AI Fears
Regulating AI could threaten free speech, just as earlier proposed regulations of other media once did.
Trump Thinks News Outlets Should Lose Their Broadcast Licenses, Even When They Have None
Despite his cluelessness, the former president's inclination to punish constitutionally protected speech reflects his authoritarian disregard for civil liberties.
Are Books and Brains Weapons? The U.S. Government Thinks So.
Sending user manuals, algorithms, and lines of code can be legally equivalent to exporting bombs.
Judge Throws Out Charges Against Arizona Mom Arrested for Criticizing Officials at a City Council Meeting
Rebekah Massie's removal and arrest from a city council meeting was "objectively outrageous," the judge ruled.
This Activist Uses the FCC To Shoehorn Gruesome Anti-Abortion Ads Onto the Air
How the equal time rule is helping him hijack the airwaves.
'It's the First Amendment, Stupid': Federal Judge Slams Florida for Threatening TV Stations
The state has been demanding that TV stations remove political ads in support of a reproductive freedom amendment on the ballot this year.
No, Trump Did Not Endorse a Military Assault on People 'Simply Because They Oppose His Candidacy'
The former president's authoritarian tendencies are alarming enough without inventing new outrages.
University of Michigan Spent $250 Million on DEI, Made Students Unhappier
"Michigan's D.E.I. expansion has coincided with an explosion in campus conflict over race and gender," notes The New York Times.
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
This Reporter Was Arrested for Asking Questions. The Supreme Court Just Revived Her Lawsuit.
Priscilla Villarreal's case is about whether certain reporters have more robust free speech rights than others.
Oklahoma Loosens Rules for Mandatory Classroom Bibles
The good news is that schools won't be forced to stock Trump-endorsed Bibles. The bad news is that they're still being forced to supply Bibles.
SCOTUS Revives Lawsuit Against Missouri Cop Who Jailed a Man 'for Being an Asshole'
Mason Murphy says Officer Michael Schmitt violated his rights by punishing him for constitutionally protected speech.
The ACLU of South Carolina is Suing To Publish Interviews With a Death Row Inmate
South Carolina bans all media interviews with incarcerated people, a policy the state's ACLU chapter says is the most restrictive in the country and infringes on its First Amendment rights.
Florida Threatens Local TV Station With Prosecution Over 'Dangerous' Pro-Choice Ad
The Florida Department of Health sent a cease and desist order to a Florida news station after it aired an ad claiming that women with cancer would be unable to obtain abortions in the state.
Watch Now: Classified: The War on Backpage.com
Reason's new documentary is now streaming on the video platform CiVL. I hope you'll watch.
Neither Harris Nor Trump Is a Friend of Free Speech
Both presidential candidates (and their running mates) seem confused about the constraints imposed by the First Amendment.
Sixth Circuit Allows Enforcement of Ohio Law Barring Foreign Expenditures on Ballot Initiatives
A divided circuit panel stays the district court's injunction against enforcing Ohio's law.
Reason's New Documentary on Backpage.com Is Streaming Exclusively on CiVL
The film ties together years of reporting on a legal saga with broad implications for both free speech and sex work.
Oklahoma's Push for Bibles in Schools Comes With a Trump-Sized Price Tag
Ryan Walters' strict stipulations make it clear he’s steering Oklahoma schools to purchase Donald Trump’s Bibles at a hefty cost.
Hillary Clinton Wants To Repeal Section 230
Her comments are a reminder that this free-speech protection is far from safe.
