The New York Times is wrong to attack the First Amendment – UnHerd

Those of us who defend freedom of speech have unfortunately become used to hysterical headlines from the New York Times decrying the problem of the First Amendment.

Some of these headlines rely on straw man arguments to make their case, such as Free Speech Is Killing Us by Andrew Marantz in 2019. And who could forget Ulrich Baers 2017 article, What Snowflakes Get Right About Free Speech, which argued that people who agree with him should have more control over speech on campus? (Perhaps the least surprising position a university administrator has ever taken.) Or Lisa Feldman Barretts 2017 article, When Is Speech Violence?, which argues that speech can become violence when its stressful? If thats the case, then whats the First Amendment for?

Professor Tim Wus piece this week, The First Amendment Is Out of Control, was in this troubling tradition of free-speech catastrophising. As he notes at the beginning of the article, [n]early any law that has to do with the movement of information can be attacked in the name of the First Amendment. Well, sure. Fear of government power over the free flow of information was a big part of the reason why Congress shall make no law.

See the article here:
The New York Times is wrong to attack the First Amendment - UnHerd