On February 25th, 2019, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments in Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck, a case that has garnered press attention for its First Amendment subject matter. The Court is being asked to consider, “when (if ever) the actions of a private nonprofit corporation operating a public access television channel constitute sufficient state action warranting application of the First Amendment.” While the case centers on the complaints of two videographers who worked for a Manhattan public television station, it has wider implications as it could help bring clarity as to whether media companies such as Facebook and Twitter could be considered “state actors” from the standpoint of their ability to ban or curate content.
A transcript and the audio of the the oral argument will be up on Oyez the week of February 25th. Read more about the case, its history and questions presented on Oyez.
Additional Resources
SCOTUS Preview: State Action and Public Access Television, Constitutional Law Prof Blog, February 13, 2019.
United States Supreme Court: Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck, Docket & Briefs