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equity and justice@ajws.org this is FRESH AIR.
I'm Tanya Moseley.
One day in February of 2019, during a gathering of the Supreme Court,
Justice Clarence Thomas raised the prospect of overturning one of the most consequential free speech decisions ever made.
New York Times vs. Sullivan is a landmark case
from 1964 that strengthened first Amendment protections by enabling journalists
and writers from top national outlets to local newspapers
and bloggers to pursue the truth without being afraid of being sued.
Well, in a new book,
author David Enrich explores how Justice Thomas words coincide with a surge in legal threats
and litigation against journalists and media outlets.
The charge is being led by the powerful tech billionaires, corporations and our president,
who made clear his intent back in 2016 on the campaign trail.
If I become president, oh, do they have problems?
They're going to have such problems.
And one of the things I'm going to do, and this is only going to make it tougher for me,
and I've never said this before, but one of the things I'm going to do if I win,