Public Officials and Social Media
Melinda Beck

Blog

Public Officials and Social Media

Through groundbreaking litigation such as Knight Institute v. Trump—a lawsuit challenging former President Trump's practice of blocking critics from his Twitter account—the Institute has been instrumental in establishing a basic principle: once public officials open up an online space for expressive activity to the public at large, the First Amendment prohibits them from excluding speakers on the basis of viewpoint. Courts throughout the country have invoked this case to preclude other public officials from silencing their social media critics. 

This blog channel highlights the Institute’s ongoing work in this area and explores the many challenging First Amendment questions that continue to emerge. 

Event

Event

Covering Democracy: Protests, police, and the press

Report launch and advanced screening

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Research

Essays and Scholarship

The Professional Price of Falsehoods

What role should professional organizations play in responding to lies and misinformation spread by those within their ranks? 

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Podcast

Podcast

Views on First

What happens when social media collides with the First Amendment? 

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Reading Room

Transparency & Democracy

The OLC's Opinions

Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit

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