TV and the First Amendment?

A recent SCOTUS Case, Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck, brought up an important issue on where the lines in the sand are drawn regarding First Amendment rights (according to an article in The Economist).  A producer and playwright stated that they were being discriminated against by the Manhattan Community Access Corp, who runs a public-cable network in New York (Manhattan Neighborhood Network). The MNN attempted to ban Ms. Helleck and Mrs. Melenez (producer and playwright represented in the case) from the network for putting a critical and controversial piece titled "The 1% Visit El Barrio" on the air.

Conflict ensued as Helleck claimed that, because the MNN is a public network, they are required to uphold everyone's freedom of speech equally. On the other hand, MNN claimed that they are not a "state actor," and therefore do not have to do so.

This conflict of public versus private and how that corresponds to the First Amendment is something that transcends just public television. As the article mentions, these ideas can transfer into our discussions about social media platforms and more. In any case, this SCOTUS case will perhaps set a precedent for future First Amendment debates.

That's all for now!