A Telling Exchange at the Zuckerberg Hearing
How a question about vaccines made it into a hearing about cryptocurrency
Et Tu, LeBron?
James didn’t defend free speech. But in China, the NBA has made a mess that its biggest star can’t be expected to clean up.
The NBA-China Disaster Is a Stress Test for Capitalism
The business of American business is business. Are we okay with that?
The NBA Is Going to Have to Choose
Pro basketball was a progressive beacon, allowing players and coaches to speak their mind freely. And then China got involved.
Internet Censorship Could Happen More Than One Way
A landmark ruling in a ‘‘right to be forgotten” case discourages censorship on a global scale. What happens in individual countries may be a different story.
I Watched ISIS Videos, and Felt My Soul Diminished
After years of reporting on violence, one worries about numbness. All carnage, all the time. If you live like this too long, it can warp your view of the world.
Facebook Restricts Speech by Popular Demand
The Constitution protects free speech, but internet companies are succumbing to public pressure to restrict it.
Why I Cover Campus Controversies
Should journalists care about the speech wars in the era of Donald Trump?
Finally, Facebook Put Someone in Charge
Deciding which postings to take down is a difficult and unpopular job. So Mark Zuckerberg is outsourcing it.
The U.S. Is About to Do Something Big on Hong Kong
Protests there have demonstrated the enduring appeal of American values and power. But can Washington live up to that promise?
Hollywood’s Great Leap Backward on Free Expression
Beijing moves to co-opt the American film industry as it seeks to penetrate the world’s largest market.
Fox News Has the Power Over Trump
The president’s recent attacks on the network barely registered inside its headquarters.
When Faith Comes Up, Students Avert Their Eyes
In college classrooms, where almost anything is up for discussion, religious ideas are met with awkward silence.
Bureaucrats Put the Squeeze on College Newspapers
The corporatization of higher education has rendered a once-indispensable part of student life irrelevant, right when it’s needed the most.
Republicans Changed Their Mind About Higher Education Really Quickly
A majority of them no longer think campuses are setting the country on the right course. What happened?
The Limits of Trump’s White Identity Politics
The president is casting Democrats as the real racists to energize his base, but in doing so he’s hindering his capacity to reach beyond it.
What Joe Biden’s Latest Gaffe Reveals
He equated being poor with being a person of color. But many people share that sociological assumption.
Here’s What Foreign Interference Will Look Like in 2020
The incentives for foreign countries to meddle are much greater than in 2016, and the tactics could look dramatically different.
The Fight Against White Nationalism Is Different
A growing chorus of voices is calling for the U.S. government to treat the threat from white-nationalist terrorists like the threat from Islamist extremists. The fight against ISIS offers some lessons—but also a cautionary tale on U.S. failures to combat an ideology.
The Reason Musicians Speak Up About Mass Shootings
Artists are shaping the gun-violence discourse, and the fascinating reaction to their political speech has demonstrated the specific reach they can have.
Instagram Wants Memers to Like It Again
After a series of account purges, meme pages are at war with their platform. Now Instagram is trying to smooth things over.
How Trump Obscures Mass Shootings With Doublespeak
In discussing the El Paso and Dayton massacres, the president and his fellow politicians are taking refuge in the convenience of abstraction.
How Many Attacks Will It Take Until the White-Supremacist Threat Is Taken Seriously?
FBI Director Christopher Wray said recently that the bureau doesn’t “investigate the ideology, no matter how repugnant. We investigate violence.”
Ideology Kills. How Do You Police It?
The manifesto that appeared just before the El Paso shooting opposed racial mixing.
‘We’re All Tired of Being Called Racists’
At Donald Trump’s rally in Cincinnati, droves of attendees made it clear that they stood with the president despite his recent comments.
Tarantino’s Most Transgressive Film
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood celebrates values that have been repeatedly dismissed as dangerous and outdated.
Why Conservatives Allege Big Tech Is Muzzling Them
Google and Facebook aren’t infringing on the right’s freedom of expression, but insisting otherwise is politically convenient.
When Using Racist, Define Your Terms
Some reject the notion that they should apply the word consistently, without regard to whether the usage will upset their audience.
Mark Zuckerberg Is Rethinking Deepfakes
In an interview, the Facebook CEO hinted that the company is trying a new approach to misleading videos created through artificial intelligence.
Wayfair Should Have Seen This Coming
In leaked audio, the home-goods retailer’s co-founder seemed surprised that his company was being forced to take a political stance.
The Problem With Verification
Verification scams are rampant on social media. What if that’s because the whole system is broken?
AOC’s Critics Are Pretending Not to Know How Language Works
A great deal of communication is based on metaphor.
Kyle Kashuv Becomes a Symbol to Conservatives Who Say the Left Can’t Forgive
The 18-year-old gun-rights activist and Parkland-shooting survivor is being touted by the right as the latest victim of “cancel culture.”
How Harvard Should Handle the Kyle Kashuv Mess
The university and its critics can transform this polarizing culture war controversy into a constructive moment––if both take steps to placate the other side.
Harvard’s Drastic Decision
The college has rescinded an admissions offer to Kyle Kashuv, a Parkland survivor and conservative activist.
An Abandoned Weapon in the Fight Against Hate Speech
A 1952 Supreme Court ruling gave civil-rights groups a way to combat anti-Semitism and other prejudices—but in the years since, it’s largely gone unused.
From Public Shame to the Courtroom
Gibson’s Bakery, a family-owned business near Oberlin College accused of racism, just won a big payout.
Kellyanne Conway Broke the Law—And Is Going to Get Away With It
A government watchdog says that the aide to the president is undermining the rule of law, and should be fired.
Free Speech on Campus Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You
Norms about the First Amendment are evolving—but not in the way President Trump thinks.
The ‘Platform’ Excuse Is Dying
For years, tech companies have relied on a rhetorical sleight of hand. It’s not working anymore.
The Coalition Out to Kill Tech as We Know It
With enemies like these, the industry is going to need some friends.
John Roberts Strikes a Blow Against Free Speech
A First Amendment tiger for the rights of rich campaign donors, the chief justice frets that ordinary people might bother hardworking officers.
Online-Privacy Laws Come With a Downside
The European Union tried to protect internet users. It also gave public officials a blunt instrument to wield against journalists.
Self-Censorship on Campus Is Bad for Science
Amid heightened tensions on college campuses, well-established scientific ideas are suddenly meeting with stiff political resistance.
The ‘Enemy of the People’ Is the Real Target of the Assange Prosecution
Going after the WikiLeaks founder for publishing state secrets places journalists at risk.
Now Julian Assange Is a Martyr
The Trump administration is threatening press freedom by invoking an authoritarian law.
Trump Was Right Not to Sign the Christchurch Call
The pledge to eliminate extremist content online is antithetical to the American understanding of free expression.
The Groups Bringing Forum Culture to Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for communities on his platform is very different from how users are gathering there organically.
The Damage That Harvard Has Done
The institution removed Ronald Sullivan as faculty dean after students criticized his decision to help mount Harvey Weinstein’s legal defense.
Tech Companies Are Deleting Evidence of War Crimes
Algorithms that take down “terrorist” videos could hamstring efforts to bring human-rights abusers to justice.
Don’t Let Students Run the University
Trying to get professors fired because you don’t like their views isn’t activism—it’s preening would-be totalitarianism.
What to Do When the Boss Is Wrong
“Nobody disobeys my orders,” the president insisted. But workplaces function better when they make room for defiance.
Trump Attacks Facebook on Behalf of Racists and Grifters
But unlike in previous eras, the social giant knows it can just ignore the president.
Camille Paglia Can’t Say That
Art students are trying to get the social critic fired from a job she has held for three decades.
Why Sri Lanka Silenced Social Media
Information blackouts almost always turn into authoritarian tools, whether or not they start that way.
An Internet for Kids
Instead of regulating the internet to protect young people, give them a youth-net of their own.
The Online Speech Wars
The ongoing battle over First Amendment rights in the digital space
Discrimination’s Digital Frontier
Ad platforms such as Facebook can perpetuate the types of harms that civil-rights laws are meant to address.
Democrats Are Falling Into the Ilhan Omar Trap
By rushing to stand with the controversial congresswoman, the 2020 contenders are allowing Trump to transform her into the face of their party.
In Rwanda, We Know All About Dehumanizing Language
Years of cultivated hatred led to death on a horrifying scale.
Ilhan Omar Falls Victim to the Outrage Exhibitionists
In attacking the representative over a small, unintentional slight, Donald Trump and the populist right are displaying bad faith.
It Wasn’t ‘Verbal Blackface.’ AOC Was Code-Switching.
Her critics are misreading the linguistic reality of America’s big cities.
The New Science of How to Argue—Constructively
Disagreement is central to our lives online. ‘Erisologists’ want to study it more systematically.
How to Save the News Media
What if the government offered tax-free status to media start-ups?
A #MeToo Nightmare in the World of Competitive College Speech
Success in forensics is about making yourself vulnerable. Several former competitors accuse a prominent coach of exploiting that vulnerability to sexually harass students.
Creating Conservative Universities Is Not the Answer
Increasing the ideological diversity of higher education as a whole, while decreasing it within individual institutions, would bring us closer to a fundamental and permanent political separation.
John Oliver’s Weak Case for Callout Culture
Why the HBO host is wrong that public shaming encourages public accountability
Trump’s Redundant Executive Order on Campus Speech
The president’s much-anticipated directive doesn’t do much.
Chelsea Clinton in the Hall of Mirrors
Once callout culture takes hold, it never ends.
Weibo’s Free-Speech Failure
How a dissident movement almost broke through China’s internet censorship
Beto O’Rourke Was Right, and Democrats Might Not Forgive Him
As the Democratic Party shifts leftward, can primary voters look past the candidate’s fiscal responsibility?
How Hate Groups’ Secret Sound System Works
White supremacists exploit the weaknesses in the social-media ecosystem as Facebook and Google struggle to keep up.
Probing the ‘White People’ Rant That Roiled Columbia
I spoke with Julian von Abele, who insists his words were taken out of context.
The Covington Catholic Case Could Turn on ‘Actual Malice’
A high-school student’s $250 million defamation suit against The Washington Post is an object lesson in the perils of social media.
Trump’s Extreme NDAs
His nondisclosure agreements are draconian.
The Battle for American Minds
Russia’s 2016 election interference was only the beginning. New tactics and deep fakes are probably coming soon.
In Defense of Harvey Weinstein’s Harvard Lawyer
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. is upholding a vital civic good.
My Newspaper Died 10 Years Ago. I’m Worried the Worst Is Yet to Come.
I was the editor of the Rocky Mountain News when it folded in 2009. A decade later, I’m concerned that more local journalism will suffer the same fate.
Why Is This Cross-Shaped Memorial Constitutional?
The Supreme Court seems poised to affirm that it can be displayed on public land—but a great deal rides on its rationale.
The Snowflake in Chief
President Trump suggests that comedy sketches making fun of him warrant “retribution” and investigation.
Kamala Harris’s Blackness Isn’t Up for Debate
Her identity and motives are being unfairly challenged on all sides.
Stop Alleging Anti-Semitism Just to Score Political Points
The conversation about Israel has become a toxic partisan firefight, bereft of insight or vision.
Ilhan Omar Just Made It Harder to Have a Nuanced Debate About Israel
The Minnesota congresswoman has given credence to caricatures of critics of Israel.
Can Freedom of the Press Survive David Pecker?
The National Enquirer pushed the limits of journalistic norms—and in the process called into question the legal protections enjoyed by the media.
The Costs and Benefits of Worlds Colliding
Readers weigh in on the ways that social media has changed our freedom to show different aspects of our identities in different domains.
This Is How the Left Destroys Itself
It’s ridiculous to claim that the Covington Catholic schoolboys are a symbol of what ails America.
Social-Media Outrage Is Collapsing Our Worlds
The internet once made it easier to slip from one domain to another. Is there a way to preserve that vital freedom?
The Political Question of the Future: But Are They Real?
What happens when live-streams become the new fireside chat
The Trumpification of Political Discourse
Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib may have delighted the far-left with her coarse words for the president—but she’s also mirroring his style.
Trump’s New Catchphrase Is an Attempt to Delegitimize Dissent
Facing pressure from the incoming Democratic majority in the House, the commander in chief swears he’s the target of “presidential harassment.”
The Media’s Post-Advertising Future Is Also Its Past
Why the news is going back to the 19th century
Reflections on a Year of Outrage
Our culture is losing its ability to focus on the problems that really matter.
How the Press Sustains the Forever War
Too much media coverage of Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria treats indefinite deployments as the only legitimate option.
The ACLU Takes Aim at Criminal-Defamation Laws
The civil-rights group is backing a test case arguing that New Hampshire’s statute violates the Constitution.
UNC Punts on Silent Sam
The Board of Governors rejected UNC Chapel Hill’s plan to build a $5.3 million building for the Confederate statue, setting the stage for a renewed battle in March.
/media/img/2018/12/LGBTQ/original.png)
It’s Time to Drop the ‘LGBT’ From ‘LGBTQ’
The case for a new term that describes all sexual minorities
Perhaps the Most Effective Way to Fight Racism
The filmmaker Deeyah Khan is the latest anti-racist to enjoy success by engaging, rather than shunning, people with deplorable beliefs.
The Speech That Facebook Plans to Punish
The company may cede control of what it censors outright while restricting the reach of “borderline” content.
Don’t Shut Down the Internet’s Biggest Jihadist Archive
Jihadology.net is a valuable resource for researchers, even if terrorists make use of it too.
Why Wisconsin High Schoolers Aren't Being Punished for Mimicking a Nazi Salute
A prom photo has sparked a fresh round of debate over students’ First Amendment rights.
Can Police Retaliate Against Loudmouths?
The Supreme Court will rule on whether citizens can talk back to law enforcement without fear of consequences.
How Politics in Trump’s America Divides Families
A progressive family in suburban Philadelphia refused to take down a “Black Lives Matter” sign when conservative relatives came to visit.
The App at the Heart of the Movement to End Affirmative Action
“WeChat is a monster. There’s nothing like it on Earth.”
Julian Assange Isn’t Worth It
If the U.S. government can prosecute the WikiLeaks editor for publishing classified material, then every media outlet is at risk.
What Turkey Stands to Gain From the Khashoggi Investigation
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might not be able to permanently sideline the Saudi crown prince, but he could extract other concessions that bolster his own position.
The Looming Legal Battle Over Jim Acosta's Press Pass
CNN says in a lawsuit that President Trump’s revocation of the correspondent’s White House credentials violated his First and Fifth Amendment rights.
Video Doesn’t Capture Truth
Like text and audio, it can be manipulated and interpreted for political ends.
A Flawed European Ruling on Free Speech
The European Court of Human Rights invoked “religious peace” as a reason to limit criticisms of the Prophet Muhammad.
Twitter Should Kill the Retweet
The feature derails healthy conversation and preys on users’ worst instincts.
The Dilemma of Anti-Semitic Speech Online
Tech companies are struggling to face a culture their platforms helped create, as trolls post racist, vile content in a way that camouflages dangerous people.
In Europe, Speech Is an Alienable Right
A human-rights court upheld an Austrian woman’s conviction for disparaging the Prophet Muhammad.
Iranian Propaganda Targeted Americans With Tom Hanks
It’s yet another attempt by a government to use Facebook to sow discord in the United States.
A Lawsuit Tests the Limits of Anonymous Speech
A journalist wants to know who accused him of rape in a shared spreadsheet. What are the implications of outing or protecting his accusers?
The Idioms of Non-Argument
What happens when reviewers spend more time focusing on the motives of authors than the merits of their claims?
The Trump Campaign Says Exploiting Hacked Emails Is Free Speech
Lawyers for the campaign asserted in court papers a right to disclose “even stolen information.”
Free Speech Will Survive This Moment
Optimists and pessimists offered competing visions for the future of the First Amendment at The Atlantic Festival.
A Civil-Rights Icon Urges Law Grads to Defend Free Speech
Eleanor Holmes Norton used a commencement address at Georgetown to argue that securing positive, lasting change in America requires letting all sides have their say.
A Battle Over Abortion and Free Speech
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case over California’s regulation of “crisis pregnancy centers,” which try to talk their clients out of ending their pregnancies.