TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The latest bill making the rounds at Florida’s legislative session in Tallahassee would help people take on media companies for reporting false information.
If it passes, the bill could also affect anyone posting things online.
The bill picks up and runs with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ grievances against the media.
It passed its first of three committee stops despite public opposition being voiced.
“The bill violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” said First Amendment attorney Carol LoCicero.
The public overwhelmingly said no, but the first House committee said yes to the bill that would essentially lower the legal bar for defamation in lawsuits against journalists and news organizations.
Opponents fear a chilling effect on free speech.
“Its provisions will be used to try critics of government policy,” said Bobby Block, with the First Amendment Foundation.
We saw the prelude to the bill last month, when DeSantis staged and anchored a TV-style roundtable with several people who had been maligned mistakenly by the media.
As filed, the bill takes on selective editing of video and interviews. It would consider information from anonymous sources suspect and it would remove proof of malice necessary in a defamation suit against the media.
The bill sponsor suggests the law will create a more responsible press.
“A journalist right now can say, ‘Your honor, I didn’t defame them with actual malice. I’m just incompetent,’ and they would win the lawsuit,” said Florida State Rep. Alex Andrade. “This bill could be entitled Journalism 101.”