HULK HOGAN VS GAWKER MEDIA COURT CASE TRIAL

If you start putting curbs on that, you imperil the ability of all journalists to do their jobs. In legal terms, 'public figure' plus 'true' usually equals 'let's go home' where journalism is concerned. The post Gawker published about him was true. The sex tape's existence was already public knowledge screenshots had even been published. Hulk Hogan is a public figure who has discussed his sex life in public. The headline read, 'Even for a Minute, Watching Hulk Hogan Have Sex in a Canopy Bed is Not Safe For Work but Watch it Anyway.' Hogan promptly sued the site for $100 million.įrom Gawker's perspective-and, really, from the perspective of almost any journalist out there-this is a straightforward First Amendment case. The post reveled in the prurience of what it was publishing. Gawker case is a 2012 post Gawker published showing a short excerpt of a sex tape someone made of Hogan having sex with someone else's wife. Thursday's session featured one of the more laughably poor showings from a so-called 'expert witness' that you're likely to see, but before we get to that, some background.Īt issue in the Hogan v. Journalism is a broad church, encompassing both the regal and the rancid, and sometimes you're going to find yourself having broad constitutional arguments over some very questionable material.

HULK HOGAN VS GAWKER MEDIA COURT CASE TRIAL

The Florida trial happening this week pitting wrestler Hulk Hogan against the website Gawker may seem a bizarre venue for major questions of First Amendment rights and journalistic principles, but so be it.

Hulk hogan vs gawker media court case