Ken Paulson, JD

USA TODAY Founder Al Neuharth was a brilliant news executive, but he had his quirks. Proud of his South Dakota roots, he had something of a chip on his shoulder, disdaining East Coast elites and daring them to mock his unconventional ideas. In 1982, he launched USA TODAY, a colorful newspaper filled with concise stories and groundbreaking graphics. Early critics derided it as a “comic book” or “McPaper.” Neuharth loved it.

- Former editor of USA TODAY: A reflection on the Newseum's impact as it closes its doors

“There is no faster way to bring public support than to pursue military action,” said Ken Paulson, head of the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center. “It’s a pattern not only in American history, but in world history. We rally around the commander in chief — and that’s understandable.” Paulson noted that the news media also “seem to get bored with their own narrative” about Trump’s failings, and they welcome a chance to switch it up. But that’s not good enough, he said: “The watchdog has to have clear vision and not just a sporadic bark.”

- The media loved Trump’s show of military might. Are we really doing this again?

Ken Paulson, president of the Newseum's First Amendment Center and dean of media studies at Middle Tennessee State University, said CNN and other news organizations should hang tough. "The core principle of a free press is that the government can't be allowed to decide who keeps an eye on it," Paulson said. "If Jim Acosta is out, CNN should send a similarly persistent reporter and spend that much more time digging for information outside the White House walls."

- Trump war on media takes tense turn with CNN reporter banned

Ken Paulson, president of the Newseum's First Amendment Center and dean of media studies at Middle Tennessee State University, said CNN and other news organizations should hang tough. "The core principle of a free press is that the government can't be allowed to decide who keeps an eye on it," Paulson said. "If Jim Acosta is out, CNN should send a similarly persistent reporter and spend that much more time digging for information outside the White House walls."

- Fight fake news with the real thing

Imagine if President Trump publicly denounced men and women of the clergy as “disturbed” people who don’t love God. The outcry would be deafening; I’m confident that faith leaders throughout the country would pray even harder. Or consider if the president denounced law-abiding gun-owners as “pathetic” and questioned their loyalty to their communities. Outrage would ignite, and gun owners would exercise their Second Amendment rights with vigor, buying more guns. Yet Trump’s denouncement of the news media as “sick people" who don’t even like their country rolled off his tongue. And just as faith leaders and gun owners fight back if their rights are threatened, journalists have done the same with remarkably aggressive coverage of the president throughout his term so far. That's not a surprise. Good journalists are trained to pursue conflicts of interest, misleading statements and abuses of the public trust.

- The news media does not hate America

President Donald Trump is violating the First Amendment by blocking Twitter users who criticize and mock him, according to a letter sent to him by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Trump’s verified Twitter account is a designated public forum, and the First Amendment bars the government from excluding people based on their views, according to an institute press release. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have stories. The letter asks Trump to unblock the Twitter users so they can view his tweets and comment. The letter is signed by three lawyers who represent two blocked users

- Blocked Trump Twitter followers claim First Amendment violation

First Amendment Center President Ken Paulson provides analysis of the case, noting that the opinion reaffirms that sexual content and violent content are viewed differently by the court, that entertainment is protected by the First Amendment, and that “states can’t target emerging media,” such as video games. “Overall, the Supreme Court’s ruling is a vibrant application of 219-year-old principles to cutting-edge technology and asserts that any new forms of communication or media to come will be protected by the First Amendment,” Paulson writes.

- Court Strikes Down Ban on Sale of Violent Video Games to Minors

Paulson said while he has seen “widely distributed news stories about students shouting down speakers, or college administrators engaging in heavy-handed tactics,” he doesn’t feel such tactics are prevalent at most campuses. “I honestly don’t believe there’s an epidemic of suppression or intolerance in the nation’s universities,” he said. Rather, Paulson said, most students are concerned about “paying for school, staying in school and making good enough grades to get a job when they leave.” He added, “That’s a dynamic you’ll find at universities all over America.” However, Paulson said there are indisputably “some high-profile instances where college administrators and students are willing to bend free speech principles to prevent hurt feelings or ideological conflict.” “Somewhere, over the past two decades, the land of the free has become the home of the easily offended,” Paulson said. “There are some who see free speech infractions and ask for Congress to do something. But with all due respect, this is not about legislation. It’s about education.

- Ken Paulson testifies before Congress