The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times
Lincoln Agnew

The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times

A symposium examining what it means to safeguard and support the role of the press in the United States today.

Civic Hall and Online

On May 3, 2024, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars for a symposium aimed at identifying and protecting core press functions amid a changing news landscape.

The symposium, “The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times,” is a collaboration between the Knight Institute and the Institute’s 2023-2024 Senior Visiting Research Scholars RonNell Andersen Jones and Sonja R. West.

It will take place in-person at Civic Hall and online. Watch the livestream here.

Co-sponsored by Columbia Law School, Columbia Journalism School, and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

 

The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times

An Introduction to Our Project: The Future of Press Freedom

The Future of Press Freedom Scholars Series

Call for Papers: New Voices in Press Freedom

Schedule

  • Civic Hall

    124 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003

    Welcome

    • Jameel Jaffer, Knight Institute
    • RonNell Andersen Jones, University of Utah and Knight Institute

    Due to technical difficulties, the Knight Institute is unable to post a video of welcome remarks.

    Panel 1: Democracy and the Press Function 

    This panel explores the relationship between newsgathering and the stability of American democracy. Traditional news outlets are disappearing, leaving an information vacuum that other communicators are rushing to fill. Political threats against performers of the press function are on the rise. At this critical moment, which roles that have traditionally been played by legacy media are most crucial to self-government? What press functions does a democracy need in order to sustain itself, and why do these press functions matter? Given deep public divisions, how can we foster the newsgathering that is vital to public discourse, and what is the proper role of constitutionalism, law, and policy in this space?

    Panelists

    • Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Berkeley School of Law
    • Lyrissa Lidsky, University of Florida Levin College of Law
    • Robert C. Post, Yale Law School

    Discussant

    • Michael Schudson, Columbia Journalism School

    Moderator

    • RonNell Andersen Jones, University of Utah and Knight Institute

    Due to technical difficulties, the Knight Institute is unable to post a video of panel 1.

    Break

    Panel 2: Identifying Performers of the Press Function


    This panel examines how we can best identify performers of the press function for protection in a changing media and political landscape. What benefits and what complexities result if law and constitutionalism give journalists special privileges? How can we guarantee access for some parties to perform government oversight on behalf of others when access is limited? If press exceptionalism line-drawing is needed, what are the best tools for distinguishing performers of the press function from performers of other functions? How can we shape this doctrine in ways that reflect the voices of groups that have historically been marginalized? How do we build press-protective doctrine that is fair, helpful, and lasting, even as media models change?

    Panelists

    • Hannah Bloch-Wehba, Texas A&M University School of Law
    • Meredith D. Clark, Northeastern University
    • Richard L. Hasen, UCLA School of Law

    Discussant

    • Seth Stern, Freedom of the Press Foundation

    Moderator

    • Sonja R. West, University of Georgia and Knight Institute


    Due to technical difficulties, the Knight Institute is unable to post a video of panel 2.

    Lunch & Keynote Remarks: Saving the News—A Conversation with Martha Minow

    • 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Lunch
    • 12:30 p.m. - 1:05 p.m.: Keynote and Q&A

    Discussion

    • Jelani Cobb, Dean, Columbia Journalism School
    • Isabella Ramírez, Editor-in-Chief and President, Columbia Spectator
    • Jameel Jaffer, Executive Director, Knight Institute

    Panel 3: Sustaining the Press Function


    This panel imagines wider possibilities for law and policy to more affirmatively sustain the democracy-enhancing press functions. Are government interventions that actively promote journalism practically workable and politically possible? Are they constitutionally sound? What are the theoretical and doctrinal barriers to press subsidies, more vibrant public media, or direct government funding of news and communication infrastructures? Can government sustain the press function without distorting the content of news? What are the most important possibilities for guaranteeing meaningful access to news and information for everyone?

    Panelist

    • Heidi Kitrosser, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
    • Wesley Lowery, American University
    • Victor Pickard, University of Pennsylvania

    Discussant

    • Courtney C. Radsch, Center for Journalism and Liberty, Open Markets Institute

    Moderator

    • Katie Fallow, Knight Institute

    Break

    Panel 4: New Frontiers for Protecting the Press Function


    This panel considers new lenses through which we might view the goal of protecting the press function. As generative AI and other technologies change the ways news can be produced and disseminated, and the harms it can impose, what lessons can be drawn from the past to protect the press function in the future? If traditional constitutional and statutory protections for performers of the press function fall short, what other avenues might fill the gaps? How can law and policy work alongside other tools to encourage and sustain valuable newsgathering?

    Panelists

    • Mike Ananny, University of Southern California
    • Christina Koningisor, UC Law San Francisco
    • Jacob Noti-Victor, Cardozo School of Law

    Discussant

    • Nora Benavidez, Free Press

    Moderator

    • Katy Glenn Bass, Knight Institute

    Closing Remarks

    • RonNell Andersen Jones, University of Utah and Knight Institute
    • Sonja R. West, University of Georgia and Knight Institute

Speakers