Noting that the work of Jurgen Habermas has had an important influence on philosophy and the social sciences recently, this paper examines the implications of using Habermas's "ideal speech situation" as a criterion for deciding issues relating to the First Amendment. The paper first briefly reviews the distinctive features of critical…

Reviews U.S. court decisions on cases in which a child or young adult was the victim of violence that was said to have been induced by the media. Suggests that the courts have generally hesitated to hold media organizations accountable for inciting the violent acts of individuals. (NKA)

A study used a communication perspective to examine the extent to which the civilian/military First Amendment dichotomy is warranted and to add to First Amendment theory the subject of the First Amendment rights of servicemembers. The study was limited to the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, petition, and association. It did not include…

Reports that the Supreme Court has dealt with related issues, but not specifically with rights of prison presses. (FL)

Despite longstanding interest in cable television regulation, little has been investigated concerning crossownership of cable with other media properties. A study examined the issue from economic (antitrust) and First Amendment (diversity of sources) perspectives. Data on where the cable companies' franchises were located and in what other media…

Increased litigation and rising litigation costs threaten the future of newspapers and magazines. A case study was conducted to determine the costs and effects of "United States v. 'The Progressive,'" a prior restraint case over the publication in 1979 of an article on the hydrogen bomb. "The Progressive," which operates at a…

Analyzes Judge Potter Stewart's voting record on First Amendment cases and concludes that he is one of the strongest supporters of the First Amendment on the Supreme Court. (FL)

This paper explores the rights of authors before publication of their works, if those works are to be published at all, and how these rights might yield to fair use of the works by other authors. Firstly, the paper examines the interests at stake of the three main groups involved: authors, the public, and people who wish to quote or closely…

A review of federal court decisions in the area of cable television and First Amendment rights reveals an early, unified perception of cable's First Amendment status that has given way in the past decade to fragmented and often contradictory positions among lower level courts. This makes the problem before the courts today one of choosing from, or…

A study examined the current United States Supreme Court's treatment of the legal concept of freedom of expression by exploring its decisions and opinions on a quantitative basis. The individual votes and the opinions or legal rationales of the justices were recorded for the 43 First Amendment cases decided by the court between the 1981…

Although colleges and universities generally regard the First Amendment as sacred, they often find themselves at the center of controversies concerning the right to say, print, write, or research with freedom. The complex relationships between a college or university and its student media have often contributed to conflicts over First Amendment…

Argues that the rights of viewers to news coverage were sacrificed to commercial interests in the federal court decision concerning the ABC television network's refusal to grant a request of a television station to broadcast short clips of a local event to which the network had exclusive broadcast rights. (FL)

Examines Chicago's school newspapers by surveying 114 public and private school advisers. Finds that school papers come up short on teaching and exercising First Amendment rights, adviser education, media collaboration with school newspapers, and frequency of publication. (PA)

News media representatives foresee a growing use of remote-sensing satellites to gather data, including data that could be used to check government claims about military and other activities occurring anywhere on the planet. The satellite technology is developing rapidly, and several nations and private corporations are involved in separate…

Examines the history of alcoholic beverage advertising and the possible outcome of a constitutional challenge to laws that attempt to prohibit such ads from radio and television. (FL)