With a highly-publicized libel trial between former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and The New York Times beginning this month, the legalities around defamatory speech are once again in the national conversation. The line where First Amendment protection begins and ends isn’t always clear for those speaking critically of private and public figures. By attending our class, you will learn:
• The seminal First Amendment cases addressing defamatory speech and recent developments in libel law.
• The current legal standards used to determine if speech is libelous.
• Good practices for you and your newsroom that will help avoid libel claims.
About Your Instructor
GREGORY V. SULLIVAN | Sullivan has served as general counsel for the Union Leader Corporation for the past 40 years. He has represented Union Leader and many other media organizations regarding First Amendment issues in federal and state courts. Sullivan also currently serves on the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s Committee on the Judiciary and the Media and is president of the Hingham, Mass.-based media law firm, Malloy & Sullivan. Sullivan has successfully argued before the New Hampshire Supreme Court in several landmark First Amendment and public access cases. He teaches First Amendment Law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston and at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications in Manchester, N.H.
The New England First Amendment Coalition launched last year a monthly educational series featuring short, practical lessons on journalism and the First Amendment.
The goal of the program — called “30 Minute Skills” — is to provide reporters and other citizens knowledge they can use immediately in newsgathering, data collection, storytelling and other areas of journalism and First Amendment law.
The lessons will be provided in a 30-minute format to accommodate the demanding schedules faced by many working in New England newsrooms. The program is free and open to the public. Registration for each lesson is required.