For years, free speech advocates (including myself) have criticized the new rationalization for censorship in the cause of combating disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. As discussed in my new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, there is a burgeoning cottage industry in academia in helping corporations and government agencies to target certain political, social, and scientific viewpoints. One of those centers is located at the Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. Now, however, the faculty are accusing each other of misinformation over the departure of “misinformation and disinformation” expert Joan Donovan. Continue reading “Disinformation Allegations Fly at Harvard’s Disinformation Center”
Category: Academia
UCLA Professor Hannah Appel has accused the school of human rights violations amounting to “torture” in the treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters. The reason is the denial of water and food from being brought into a building being unlawfully occupied by protesters, even though the students were free to leave at any time. Continue reading “Professor Accuses UCLA of “Torturing” Pro-Palestinian Protesters” The Harvard commencement ceremony this week received some press attention after Harvard’s Chabad Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi confronted Maria A. Ressa, a journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on stage over her prior allegedly antisemitic comments. However, her commencement remarks were equally chilling in another respect; a full-throated condemnation of free speech principles and a call for a crackdown on disinformation. As is often the case with anti-free speech tirades, the speech included disinformation while seeking to silence others to combat disinformation. Continue reading “Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Calls on Harvard Graduate to Support Censorship in the Name of Democracy”
In another victory for the mobocracy, Dickinson College canceled the commencement address of CNN host Michael Smerconish after liberal and pro-Palestinian students objected. The school decided to forego any speaker rather than risk the ire of radical students and groups. The greatest loss was not to Smerconish but to the college and the students. These graduates could have heard from one of the brightest legal minds in media and a person who has been a powerful and unflagging champion of free speech. Continue reading “Dickinson College Cancels Commencement Address by Michael Smerconish”
Today I will have the pleasure of participating in a debate titled Civil Disagreements: Presidential Self Pardons. I will be debating Professor Brian Kalt, who believes that the presidents do not have the authority to pardon themselves. I will be taking the opposing position. The debate will be held entirely online. The debate is sponsored by Reform for Illinois, the American Bar Association, the Chicago Chapter of the American Constitution Society, and the Chicago Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society
Continue reading “Turley to Debate Kalt on Presidential Self-Pardons”
In higher education, there is a virtual cottage industry of academics declaring everything from math to meritocracy to be forms of white supremacy and racism. Now, it appears romance will be added to the list. University of California Santa Barbara Black Studies Professor Sabrina Strings has written how romance promotes white supremacy and “global pigmentocracy.” In The End of Love: Racism, Sexism, and the Death of Romance, Strings recounts having “endured” her own bad relationships and maintains that “Romance is an old white cultural institution that began in the Middle Ages.” Continue reading ““An Old White Cultural Institution”: Professor Denounces Romance as a Creation of White Supremacy” 
Professor Nana Sato-Rossberg at the University of London has lost a novel claim of racial discrimination against her superior, Provost Claire Ozanne. The offense? Ozanne simply said that Sato-Rossberg, who is Japanese, might enjoy a local sushi restaurant.
We are now exactly one month from the release of my new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage. I am happy to share the reviews from writers, academics, journalists, and civil libertarians of the book, which is available for pre-order here. Those ordering now will have the first prints shipped to them on June 18th.
I am deeply grateful to these early reviewers for their generous comments about the book. It is meant to offer a comprehensive look at the meaning, history, and current threats to free speech in America. While it may displease or discomfort others in these fields, it is offered as a foundation for restoring this truly indispensable right.
Sonoma State University President Mike Lee has been suspended after sending out an email yielding to the demands of pro-Palestinian students and faculty. In a Wednesday statement, California State University Chancellor Mildred Garcia criticized Lee for “insubordination” and placed him on administrative leave. Lee had only been in the position for 20 months.
For those of us who have criticized the cancel culture in higher education for years, the attacks and shunning have been unrelenting. The media has played a role in that culture and none more prominently than the New York Times. Recently, however, the mob came for liberal professors and media who have remained silent for years as conservatives and others were targeted on campus. Suddenly, there is a new interest in free speech and academic freedom, including by the Times editors who blamed cancel culture for the recent demonstrations and disruptions on campus. Continue reading “The New York Times Denounces Cancel Culture . . . After Fueling Cancel Culture for Years”
We have been following universities as they cave to protester demands from elaborate settlement deals at Northwestern to the cancelation of commencement at Columbia and USC. Now both Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Vermont have yielded to expected protests and rescinded invitations to United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Continue reading “Vermont and Xavier Cave: Universities Cancel U.N. Ambassador as Commencement Speaker”
I am happy to announce the publication of my latest law review article, which appears in 65 William & Mary Law Review 1409-1506 (2024). The article titled Rage Rhetoric and the Revival of American Sedition explores sedition-based charges from the British Crown to current prosecutions. The article questions the purpose and need for sedition-based crimes in the modern American criminal justice system.
Continue reading “William & Mary Publishes Turley Study on American Sedition”
The University of Washington became the latest scene of Antifa violence this week with an attack on a conservative reporter and several other people. Antifa often attacks reporters who are critical of their actions and the videotape shows at least one person bleeding after the attack on reporter, Jonathan Choe, and his team.Continue reading “This is Antifa: Journalist and Others Attacked at UW Event”
Woody Allen once said that “80 percent of success is showing up.” Yesterday, Columbia University established its academic corollary: 80 percent of defeat is not showing up. In a disgraceful decision that deprived students of one of the most memorable moments of their lives, the university yielded to protesters who have occupied parts of the campus and buildings. Instead, graduates will be allowed to go to small-scale graduations. Continue reading “Columbia Caves: Commencement is Canceled Due to Pro-Palestinian Protests”
For years, I have written about the analogy of what is happening on our campuses to the French Revolution, including faculty enablers becoming the targets of radical groups. Many faculty were silent as conservatives and libertarians were purged from faculties. Some even supported cancel campaigns against professors and speakers with opposing views. Now the analogy has become even more poignant on my campus of George Washington University after protesters held mock tribunals and called for the heads of the President, Provost, and Board of Trustees to be cut off by guillotine. Continue reading ““Guillotine! Guillotine! Guillotine!”: GW Protesters Call for the Heads of President and Others to be Cut Off”