Cohen v. Cowles Media Company changed the course of First Amendment media law. After a quarter century of decisions interpreting the First Amendment to give media organizations preferential treatment, the Supreme Court ruled in 1991 that the Constitution did not give the press immunity from the laws ordinary citizens must obey. The American Bar Association quarterly Communications Lawyer (Spring 1998) calls Cohen a media law hall of fame case. The author, who was the plaintiff's sole attorney in all phases of the case, provides detailed analysis of the complexities of constitutional litigation and the strategic and tactical considerations involved in formulating constitutional arguments in the Supreme Court and other courts.
This is a classic David v. Goliath story of a lone lawyer who worked out of his basement taking on media and legal giants and winning. Scores of attorneys from major law firms around the country represented the Minneapolis and St. Paul newspaper defendants and their allies in court in a case where experts were confident that the press could never lose. The Cohen decision has revolutionized the law regarding accountability for wrongdoing by media organizations, and many federal and state courts have relied upon the Cohen case in holding media organizations liable for their actions. This lively account will interest not only legal and media scholars, but all readers interested in correcting injustice.
- 296 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
Table of contents
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1. Hanging Cohen Out to Dry
- 2. No Way to Treat a Tipster
- 3. Rothenberg v. Rothenberg
- 4. Taking on City Hall
- 5. No Threat to a Free Press in Requiring It to Obey the Law
- 6. A Solitary Crusade
- 7. Journalistic Malpractice on Trial
- 8. The Ghost of Deep Throat
- 9. Meeting Megan Carter
- 10. Casting the Attacks into Oblivion
- 11. Something for Everyone
- 12. Not for Another 200 Years
- 13. The Court Granted the Cert, the Court Granted the Cert!
- 14. The Karen Silkwood Rejoinder
- 15. Thank You, Justice O'Connor. Thank You, Justice Scalia
- 16. We Shall Not Be Moved
- 17. Turnabout Is Fair Play
- Epilogue: New Individual Freedom Honors the 200th Birthday of the Bill of Rights
- Appendix: U.S. Supreme Court Decision
- Bibliographical Note
- Table of Cases
- Index
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access The Taming of the Press by Elliot Rothenberg in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Law & Law Theory & Practice. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.