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George Freeman

Newsroom & 1st Amendment Lawyer for The New York Times

George Freeman
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Government, Journalism, Law, News & Media, Political
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George Freeman Biography

George Freeman is vice president and assistant general counsel of The New York Times Company and the William J. Brennan visiting professor at the Columbia Journalism School. He is also involved in newsroom counseling, antitrust and distribution problems, employment relations, and business counseling involving the Times's news, advertising, circulation, and personnel departments. He has worked in these areas for the Company's affiliated newspapers as well since he began work for the Times in 1981.

Freeman is co-chair of the American Bar Association's Litigation Section's First Amendment and Media Litigation Committee. He is also past chair of the ABA's Forum on Communication Law. From 1992 to 1996, Freeman was chairman of the New York State Bar Association Media Law Committee. Previously, he had served as chair of that organization's cameras in the courts subcommittee. He also chairs the Access and Newsgathering Subcommittee of the Newspaper Association of America's Legal Affairs Committee.

He is a frequent lecturer and moderator of panels on First Amendment issues and has been on the Practicing Law Institute's Communications Law faculty since 1985. He also was founder and remains co-chair of the Boca Conference, a winter meeting on First Amendment issues bringing together 250 media attorneys nationwide, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary.

He has participated in a conference in Moscow on "Democratic Governance and a Free Press" with Russian government officials, and has toured China as a member of the New York Bar Association Delegation.

In 2000-01, he was co-chair of an ABA Task Force on jury initiatives and in 2001-03 was co-chair of its Task Force on the Public Perception of Lawyers.

Prior to coming to the Times, Freeman was an associate at the New York law firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, where he represented the Times in litigation of several significant cases.

Since 1998, Freeman has been an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching media law courses to both undergraduate and graduate journalism students. Since 2007 he has taught at the graduate journalism school of the City University of New York and in 2009-10 he taught at the Columbia Journalism School. Freeman was a lecturer-at-law at the University of Miami Law School in 1975-76, following his cum laude graduation from Harvard Law School in 1975. He graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1971. From 1973 to 1974, Freeman served as assistant to the dean at Vermont Law School.

TOPICS

The Government, the Press & National Security: From the Pentagon Papers to Wikileaks

Is There a Defense for False Speech? Are the Rules Different on the Internet & in the Rest of the World?

Contemporary First Amendment Issues in American Media

Representing The New York Times: Is it Unique?

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/30/2024.

George Freeman Speaking Topics

  • Representing The New York Times: Is it Unique?

    As newsroom counsel for The New York Times for over 30 years, George Freeman discusses how representing a media entity such as The Times is similar and different from representing other companies and how those differences affect relating with outside counsel. Of practical aid to inside counsel and litigators, Freeman discusses how your company can best deal with the media if it is in visible litigation or in the midst of a crisis. Similarly, he gives hints on how, if you fear your company will be the subject of a negative article or negative coverage in the media, you can take proactive steps to help your client's cause.

  • Contemporary First Amendment Issues in American Media

    This talk focuses on the most current issues in the First Amendment/Media Law area. George Freeman, New York Times newsroom and First Amendment lawyer for the past 30 years, has been in the forefront of most recent free press issues and has defended The Times and its reporters in many controversial battles. For example, he defended reporter Judy Miller after she refused to divulge the name of her confidential source in the prosecution of Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby, resulting in a contempt finding and Judy serving 85 days in jail. He has defended The Times in many notorious libel cases, such as ones brought by quarterback Ken Stabler and another brought by John McCain's alleged girlfriend who sued for libel because of the implication that she and Senator McCain were having an affair. More recently, he has argued with the New York Police Department about access for reporters in covering OWS demonstrations. Freeman will cover some of these topics and whatever First Amendment issues are on listeners' minds and are in the news.

  • Is There a Defense for False Speech? Are the Rules Different on the Internet & in the Rest of the World?

    Should the First Amendment provide a defense even for false and damaging speech, and whatever the traditional print rules are, should they be, and are they, different in the 24/7 "Wild West" world of the Internet? Since reputations can be created or destroyed in seconds in social media, is there a need for more regulation in this developing space? Does it make sense that American libel law is far more protective of the press and of speech than is the rest of the world?

    Indeed, Congress recently passed a unique law allowing our courts to disrespect the libel judgments of other countries because they don't meet our First Amendment standards. Do our laws make it too easy to falsely attack someone? Should the Internet's impact lead to liability for hurtful speech, even if it's not wholly false? How do the tabloids and gossip shows get away with hurling dirt at celebrities? And is the mudslinging at public officials keeping capable citizens from entering public life? George Freeman, a newsroom and First Amendment lawyer for The New York Times for over 30 years, addresses these questions and more.

  • The Government, the Press & National Security: From the Pentagon Papers to Wikileaks

    Who should decide if classified, national security information is disseminated to the public: the government or the press? George Freeman highlights the often antagonistic relationship between the government and the press in this talk, focusing on the recent Wikileaks exposures and the newfound capacity for anyone to disseminate sensitive information on the Internet.

    For example, what can lawyers and corporate executives do to protect their corporate documents and intellectual property? Can they go to court to stop the unauthorized dissemination of their materials? Freeman discusses the Wikileaks disclosures in the context of the most significant First Amendment case in our history—the Pentagon Papers case—and its little-known backstory, as well as the Bush Administration’s pledge to prosecute The New York Times for its articles on warrantless wiretapping which, they claimed, jeopardized the War on Terror will also be discussed. The central theme of the presentation focuses on the "delicate balance" between the press and the government, who should be the final decision-maker on whether the public gets access to vital information, and how this conflict should play out in the Internet age.

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  • What topics does George Freeman speak about?

    George Freeman is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Government, Journalism, Law, News & Media, Political.

  • Where does George Freeman travel from?

    George Freeman generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

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George Freeman is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Representing The New York Times: Is it Unique?, Contemporary First Amendment Issues in American Media, Is There a Defense for False Speech? Are the Rules Different on the Internet & in the Rest of the World? and The Government, the Press & National Security: From the Pentagon Papers to Wikileaks. The estimated speaking fee range to book George Freeman for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. George Freeman generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ari Melber, Juan Williams, Ben Stein, Ed Gordon and Ari Berman. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling George Freeman for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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