Gawker and the First Amendment

Dr. Clay Calvert is a professor at the University of Florida. He is the Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication and Director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project at the University of Florida. Just a few weeks ago, news broke of Pay-Pal co-founder, Peter Thiel, funding wrestler Hulk Hogan’s privacy lawsuit against online media outlet, Gawker. Peter Thiel’s personal vendetta stems from a 2007 report from Gawker publicly outing him as Gay. With Thiel’s personal ties to an already $140 million case, questions regarding third-party financed litigation and free press laws come to light. Dr. Calvert explains how this case creates a blueprint for wealthy individuals to challenge the free press.