Trump faces another big legal loss in the E. Jean Carroll case
VoxMAY 2023
There are two things we know for sure at this moment: ever since Donald Trump ran for office, the Republican party has been tearing down the credibility of the free press, and Justice Thomas, a conservative who has faced criticism from the press, wants to overturn NYT v. Sullivan. Even Neil Gorsuch, who during his confirmation hearing said the 1964 case is settled law, is now shifting opinion. No one knows what will happen, but it does seem that the GOP is looking to redefine free speech.
NYT v. Sullivan was brought by a man who was never even mentioned in the New York Times' alleged defamatory advertisement, but what about those who are specifically targeted by the press? We live in a very different world today, one in which regular, non-public figures can be thrust into the spotlight and hounded by the media simply because the internet made them go viral. NYT v. Sullivan wasn't meant to protect the press from defaming the average person and feeding them to the online mob; it's time we rethink this landmark case.