Podcast: Gawker, Hulk Hogan, and the First Amendment
(credit: ^ndrew)
In 2012, the online news site Gawker published a two-minute excerpt of a sex tape involving Terry Bollea, known more famously as Hulk Hogan. In response, Hogan brought lawsuits in federal and Florida state courts, citing an invasion of privacy and an “inflection of emotional distress,” among other claims. The case eventually went to trial, where Hogan was ultimately awarded $140 million in damages.
In recent weeks, this story has been complicated by two developments. In May, PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel revealed his financial support for Hogan’s fight against Gawker, swearing to “fight back” against the outlet. And on June 10, Gawker Media announced that it is filing for bankruptcy and going up for sale.
Joining We the People to discuss Gawker, Hulk Hogan, and the First Amendment are two leading experts on press freedom and privacy.
Jane Kirtley is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she is also the Director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law.
Amy Gajda is Professor of Law at Tulane University Law School. She is also the author of The First Amendment Bubble, which she discussed at the Center in February 2015. You can watch that program on constitutioncenter.org or listen to it on We the People‘s companion podcast, Live at America’s Town Hall.
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This show was engineered by David Stotz and produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Josh Waimberg and Tom Donnelly. The host of We the People is Jeffrey Rosen.
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