Triggering the first Amendment: Newsgathering torts and press freedom

The recent Food Lion case highlights attempts by those suing the press to short‐circuit First Amendment protections by attacking how news is gathered rather than its publication. This article examines recent cases illustrative of this trend, which may have been accelerated by unfortunate statements in a 1991 United States Supreme Court case, Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. Next, the article analyzes and critiques the current state of the law, with particular attention to the somewhat ambiguous issue of when First Amendment scrutiny is triggered. Finally, the article suggests a new analytical framework that provides heightened protection for the press as it goes about the vital process of gathering news

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