The Legal War on Journalism

The Kicker

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Over the past several months, Donald Trump has mounted a series of legal attacks against the media, including a libel case against ABC, an FCC investigation into CBS, and a lawsuit accusing an Iowa pollster (and the newspaper that publishes her) of “election interference.”

The sometimes far-fetched claims in these cases notwithstanding, the maneuvers are having an effect. The parent company of ABC settled the libel case, over the objections of many news staffers, and CBS has turned over internal documents to the FCC.

And as Lynn Oberlander, this week’s guest and a longtime media lawyer, explains, the legal assault is already creating a chilling effect in many newsrooms.

*The lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register. Selzer’s attorneys have fought back.

*ABC pays $15 million to settle a libel lawsuit, over the objections of news staffers.

*CBS turns over raw transcripts in FCC probe.

*FCC commissioner Brendan Carr described his aggressive strategy at a recent Semafor media conference.

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