It is common for legal historians to note that the modern conception of freedom of speech is an invention of the twentieth century; much of the broad civil libertarian interpretation of expressive rights developed between the 1930s and the 1960s. We know a lot about the way that social movements and political events shaped this history and broadened the conception of freedom at the core of free speech. We know less about the way that media and their uses have shaped the basic understanding of expression within the First Amendment. Looking at cases in which the Supreme Court confronted novel forms of expression, from silent cinema to flag salutes and computer programs, this webinar will explore ways that First Amendment law has been shaped by media technologies and their uses—and what this might mean for the future of free speech. By the end of this webinar, educators will be able to teach about the modern understanding of the First Amendment that emerged post-WWI. They will also leave the webinar with tools for using historical debates about how the First Amendment applied in older media to discuss debates around freedom of speech and social media today.
