Copyright Is the Latest Battle in the War Over A.I.
The U.S. Copyright Office determined that images produced by artificial intelligence cannot be copyrighted, even though they are generated by user-written prompts.
Media
The FDA Will Let the Soy Boys Have Their Milk
Plus: Google blocks news to Canadian users in advance of pending media law, Arizona considers zoning reform bill, and more...
Ron DeSantis Wants To Rewrite Defamation Law
"The bill is an aggressive and blatantly unconstitutional attempt to rewrite defamation law in a manner that protects the powerful from criticism by journalists and the public," said one attorney.
The Real Political Scandal Is That Too Many Documents Are Classified
Many Democrats and Republicans were outraged when Trump and Biden respectively were found with classified documents. But both sides are missing the point.
Fox News 2020 Election Coverage Decisions Demonstrate that Demand for Misinformation is a Bigger Problem than the Supply
Major Fox talk show hosts knew that Trump's claims of a stolen election were false, but chose not to say so on air, for fear it would anger their audience.
'Patient Zero' Is Not Hate Speech
Reason talks with the transgender historian who used the term to describe a revolutionary gender-affirming treatment for teens.
980 New York Times Contributors Want To Sacrifice Free Inquiry to Ideology
In an open letter, they condemned the paper's coverage of trans issues. But their note is more about what questions journalists are not allowed to ask.
PredictIt Helps Forecast Election Results. Bureaucrats Are Trying To Kill It.
Election betting markets are often more reliable than pundits. Did the site steal user funds? No. Did they lie to people? No. Harm anyone? No.
The Perils of Trying To Curtail Hazily Defined 'Disinformation'
A government-supported organization's controversial ratings of online news sources illustrate the challenge of deciding what qualifies as disinformation.
Sex, Lies, and Social Media
Artist Dave Cicirelli challenges his audience to create meaning.
U.S. State Department Funds a Disinformation Index That Warns Advertisers To Avoid Reason
Reason is listed among the "ten riskiest online news outlets" by a government-funded disinfo tracker.
A Federal Judge Has Dismissed the Trump Campaign's Defamation Lawsuit Against The Washington Post
The last of the reelection campaign's defamation lawsuits against media outlets looks like it is headed for defeat, like all the others.
Getting Trump Was More Important to Some Journalists Than Getting the Story Right
The botched pursuit of the Russiagate story illustrates how the media shed credibility.
That Time We Tried To Make Sense of a Statistic in a New York Times Story on Deepfakes
Deepfakes aren't nearly as dangerous as the tried-and-true technique of saying something misleading with the imprimatur of authority.
Why Schools Suck in the Movies and in Real Life
Why are educational institutions in real life more like the one in Carrie than the one in Harry Potter?
No, the World Is Not Heading Toward 'Mass Extinction'
Despite an apocalyptic media narrative, the modern era has brought much longer lives and the greatest decline in poverty ever.
No, Recycling Will Not Save the Environment
Despite what you may have heard, many "recyclables" sent to recycling plants are never recycled at all.
Britain Wants To Jail Social Media Managers Who Don't Censor to the Government's Liking
Tech firm operators may face criminal charges if children who use their platforms encounter too much “harmful content.”
How Do We Solve a Problem Like George Santos?
The slippery slope of political fabulism, from the "Jew-ish" freshman representative to the president of the United States.
Police Killed 1,183 People in 2022. Despite a Viral Claim, That's Not a 'Record High.'
Any unjustified killing by the government demands public attention. But fatal shootings by police used to be much more common.
Lockdowns Had Little Impact on COVID-19
Data show Florida and New York had similar death numbers despite vastly different approaches.
Cameras Should Stay in Place After the House Picks a Speaker
C-SPAN has shown House proceedings since 1979 but only what the House chooses to let it show. That needs to change.
'The Hypocrisy Hurts': Enes Kanter Freedom on Standing Up to China in the NBA
"When it comes to problems happening in America, [the NBA is] the first organization saying, 'This is wrong,'" says the former professional basketball player. But then they're silent for victims of torture.
60 Minutes Promotes Paul Ehrlich's Failed Doomsaying One More Time
The Population Bomber has never been right, but is never in doubt that the world is coming to its end.
David French to the New York Times
The former First Amendment litigator and Dispatch co-founder becomes a columnist at the New York Times.
Why Take Responsibility When You Can Blame Somebody Else?
The year’s highlights in buck passing feature petulant politicians, brazen bureaucrats, careless cops, loony lawyers, and junky journalists.
Stop Spazzing Out About 'Spaz'
Social media, streaming, and a new era of digital self-censorship
A New Federal Press Shield Bill Falters Just Before the Finish Line in Congress
A law to protect people engaged in journalism from having to reveal sources gets blocked by Sen. Tom Cotton.
Canada Threatens Free Speech in the Guise of Nationalistic Obsessions
Demands by lawmakers and government officials for locally produced content may lead to online censorship.
Elon Musk Kicks Tech Journalists, Mastodon Off Twitter
Plus: Sen. Mike Lee wants to remove First Amendment protections for porn, IRS doxxes taxpayers, and more...
Don't Let Police, Media Mislead You About Fentanyl Exposure Overdoses
Another officer claims to have been laid out just by being close to the drug. That’s not how it works.
Whoa! You Helped Reason Blast Through Our $400,000 Webathon Goal!
Find out why people have donated a half-million dollars so far, and then please consider joining them before time runs out!
Your Donations Make Reason an Island of Stability in a Turbulent Sea of Media
Ain't it grand to have a resilient libertarian journal of opinion?
'I'm Totally Uncancelable': Megyn Kelly Speaks Out on Left-Wing and Right-Wing Media Bias
The journalist has taken a great deal of flack—from both sides.
'Real' Journalists Recognize That Prosecuting Julian Assange Poses a Grave Threat to Freedom of the Press
The Justice Department’s discretion is the only thing that protects them from a similar fate.
Donate Today To Kick Off Reason's Annual Webathon
Your support makes our journalism possible. This week it also gets you some cool swag.
Major Media Outlets Condemn Continued Prosecution of Julian Assange
The open letter warns the indictment “threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press.”
Steven Heller: Growing Up Underground
The legendary art director talks about the aesthetics of rebellion and his strange journey from Screw magazine to The New York Times.
Growing Up Underground With Steven Heller
The legendary art director on Greenwich Village in the '60s, the aesthetics of rebellion, and life at The New York Times.
Did Sam Bankman-Fried's Millions Buy the Media's Loyalty?
The mainstream coverage of SBF and FTX is more than a little blasé.
No, You Don't Have a First Amendment Right To Get Your Speech Aired on Cable News
On Tuesday night, Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington made the baffling claim that, if mainstream news channels failed to air the former president's campaign announcement in full, it would mean that "we do not have the First Amendment."
Presidents Bush and Obama Mistakenly Think We Need Their Warnings About Disinformation
Thanks, but we lived through the lies of their administrations that they used to sell us war and intrusive government meddling in health care.
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
