GAWKER ALTERNATIVES TRIAL

Then again, those of us who have read Schenck v. The successful suit has already inspired similar legal threats by other another star: Melania Trump, who considers herself to be harmed by “hurtful,” “damaging,” and “false” reporting by other news organizations.ĭespite grave anxiety within the media over Bollea’s Constitutional implications, any layman searching for an excuse to celebrate Gawker’s demise need only cite the obligatory canard that not all speech is protected: Because, well, free speech and all that jazz, but you can’t shout fire in a crowded theater! Then, on August 18, it was announced that would cease operations.Īnd there seems to have been little love lost for the tawdry gossip site, which trolled the private lives of celebrities and politicians for over a decade. Gawker was ultimately forced to declare bankruptcy, and its sale to Univision was quickly approved.

GAWKER ALTERNATIVES TRIAL

In May, Gawker was denied its motion for a new trial or reduction in damages. If one verdict can put a media company out of business, this seems very much like a form of arbitrary regulation of the press.As I write, Gawker Media appears to be in financial tailspin. Hogan argued that Gawker’s publication of a sex tape was an invasion of privacy, having no “news” value. In March, a Florida jury awarded Hulk Hogan a plum $140 million in his suit against ( Bollea v Gawker). Forget for a moment the question about whether celebrity sex tapes are “newsworthy.” The real question is whether we want juries determining what is, and what is not “newsworthy.”

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