News
Robinson offers analysis of media and the courts
10-11-2011
Eric Robinson will be a panelist at Media Law in the Digital Age, Oct. 22 in Georgia.
by Zanny Marsh
Eric P. Robinson, Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media deputy director, discusses a proliferation of social media trials and misconceptions about freedom of speech in recent interviews with media.
Robinson is considered a preeminent scholar in the areas of media and the courts and litigation involving social media.
“With the proliferation of social media users and channels, it is reasonable to expect increasing litigation based on postings,” Robinson said. “It’s important to realize that generally the same rules apply to both online and traditional media.”
Robinson was quoted in a story in The Oregonian on Oct. 10 about a lawsuit in which a doctor sued a blogger for an allegedly libelous Twitter post. He also was interviewed on Oregon Public Radio about the case.
Unless a settlement is reached, this may be the first instance in which a lawsuit stemming from content on Twitter goes to trial in the United States, Robinson said.
Robinson also addressed First Amendment protections – or lack thereof – for professional athletes following a spate of media coverage of athletes’ use of offensive language – or potentially hate speech –in heated exchanges during games. His comments to The Legal Blitz blog are accessible here.
Finally, Robinson wrote an article for The Brechner Report, a publication of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. His column, “Cameras roll in new federal court experiment” described a pilot program allowing cameras to record proceedings in selected federal courtrooms.
The Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media has carved its niche exploring the interaction of courts and media, including potential conflicts between rights under the First and Sixth Amendments. The Center also explores the question of whether it is possible for a defendant (high-profile or otherwise) to receive a fair trial in a culture bombarded with social media and the 24-hour news cycle.
Robinson also teaches JOUR 401 (First Amendment and Society) for the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies, and blogs for the Citizen Media Law Project at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. His personal blog may be found here:
