First Amendment and Media Law

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First Amendment and Media Law

Attorneys in Taft’s First Amendment and Media Law practice have broad experience providing counsel to media clients, including print media (newspapers, magazines and alternative media publishers), broadcast media (radio, television and film) and electronic media (Internet service providers, web publishers and Internet businesses). In addition, we represent authors, journalists, entertainment personalities, government agencies, and private corporations in connection with the legal and regulatory issues they encounter during the newsgathering and reporting process.

Our attorneys assist media clients with protecting and enforcing their federal and state constitutional rights and statutory privileges. We have represented clients in connection with the following:

Defense of defamation claims and invasion of privacy.
Responses to third-party and grand jury subpoenas.
Source-protection issues.
Newsgathering techniques.
First Amendment and media access issues.
Freedom of information and open meetings issues (including courtroom access issues).
Demands for correction or retraction.
Equal time requests from political candidates.

We also offer preventive counsel to clients in order to help avoid potential problems. Our attorneys provide pre-publication review and advice and can assist with newsgathering questions related to compliance with privacy, wiretapping, and trespass laws. Additionally, we assist with emerging issues related to Internet publication, such as reporter blogs and public posting of comments on media-sponsored websites.