Sign in

Sonja West

@sonjawest.bsky.social
6.1K followers 315 following 33 posts

UGA Law Professor (First Amendment, Media Law, U.S. Supreme Court); Free Press scholar; occasional person of interest but rarely official suspect. www.law.uga.edu/profile/sonja-r-west

PostsRepliesMedia
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Supreme Court justices should not own stocks. This isn’t hard, people. apnews.com/article/supr...
apnews.com
Alito steps aside in a major climate case after scrutiny over oil stock holdings
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a major climate-change case. Alito recused himself Monday after calls for him to step aside due to stock holdings in oil companies.
010
Reposted by Sonja West
Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today's Reliable Sources lead: In court last week, Ted Boutrous said he was concerned that “the shenanigans will continue.” And that’s what we’re seeing now — more “shenanigans” as the Trump White House tries to control news coverage... www.cnn.com/newsletters/...
cnn.com
0406
Reposted by Sonja West
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 28/09/2026
The government shouldn’t be able to secretly obtain journalists’ phone records without court approval. But DHS is abusing its authority to do just that. Read more about what Congress, journalists, and tech companies can do about it:
freedom.press
These secret subpoenas are targeting journalists
Don Lemon and Georgia Fort aren’t the first journalists to be targeted with administrative subpoenas. Unless Congress acts, they won’t be the last
68155
Reposted by Sonja West
On the Media @onthemedia.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A legal dispute over a press pass 50 years ago could shape the fight for White House press access today. Hear about The Nation reporter who sued for his press access back in the 70s, and more from @sonjawest.bsky.social. lnk.to/onthemedia/b...
lnk.to
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
0144
Reposted by Sonja West
On the Media @onthemedia.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
An obscure case from 1977 has found new relevance since Trump’s latest press ban. @sonjawest.bsky.social explains how it could shape the legal fight between Politico, CNN, MS Now and Trump. lnk.to/onthemedia/b...
lnk.to
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
0165
Reposted by Sonja West
Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
DOJ defending press ban: “it’s national security.” Trump: “It’s viewpoint based! I don’t like their viewpoints! They have bad viewpoints!”
729555
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Enjoyed getting to talk with Brooke Gladstone on one of my favorite shows, “On the Media,” about Trump’s press ban.
0141
Reposted by Sonja West
Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW: Journalists for CNN, MS NOW and Politico remained banned Thursday morning, hours after a federal judge ordered their access restored. These journalists were turned away and, in some cases, had credentials confiscated. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
CNN, Politico, MS NOW journalists barred from White House after judge blocks Trump’s ban
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to temporarily restore the journalists' credentials and said the ban was probably unconstitutional.
078
Reposted by Sonja West
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 24/09/2026
MS NOW reports that their White House reproter was denied access to the White House this morning despite a court order demanding she have access
1127131604449
Reposted by Sonja West
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18/09/2026
Trump says he's "banning the free press"
4152940884
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Totally agree with this excellent analysis. Trump is making these cases easy by saying the quiet part out loud. The real question is how quickly the courts will act.
19218
Reposted by Sonja West
Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
805149273701
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Because Trump continues to provide no due process and to make it clear he’s banning these outlets because of the content of their reporting, these should be strong (and easy) First Amendment challenges.
032
Reposted by Sonja West
Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Breaking: The three national news outlets President Trump banned from the White House — CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — are filing a critical First Amendment lawsuit to restore their access. Live coverage on "CNN This Morning" right now 👀 www.cnn.com/2026/09/21/p...
cnn.com
CNN, MS NOW and Politico to sue Trump administration over White House access | CNN Politics
The three national news outlets President Donald Trump banned from the White House — CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — are filing a critical First Amendment lawsuit to restore their access.
1526365
Reposted by Sonja West
Deborah Pearlstein @debpearlstein.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
As my former boss used to remind us: "[Shakespeare's] ‘The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers’ was spoken by a rebel, not a friend of liberty...[D]isposing of lawyers is a step in the direction of a totalitarian form of government.” (Stevens, J., dissenting 1985) /fin
0171
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
I’ve been saying this for a while now — filing meritless defamation lawsuits to harass the press is not a risk-free pastime. For example, I’d love to see discovery and depositions about Kash Patel’s drinking habits. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Judge rules Trump must hand over financial records sought by BBC in defamation case
The judge grants a motion to compel the release of files held by the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust.
152
Reposted by Sonja West
Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
BREAKING NYT: The Trump admin sought the phone records of several Times journalists and their relatives — including one reporter's mother — in its effort to unmask the confidential sources who had provided information for articles about the security capabilities of Trump's new Air Force One jet.
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Sought Phone Records of Times Journalists and Their Relatives
The government is aggressively seeking the confidential sources of Times reporters who wrote about the president’s new Air Force One. The Times has asked a judge to quash the subpoenas.
14628531178
Reposted by Sonja West
Dahlia Lithwick @dahlialithwick.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
with @sonjawest.bsky.social on what REALLY causes mistakes on the last day of the SCOTUS term. (Um. Hint? SCOTUS) slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
Nina Totenberg Made a Mistake. But the Reaction Reveals a Much Bigger Problem.
We're all focusing on the wrong part of NPR's retirement announcement error.
26016
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
This Alito retirement announcement mess wouldn’t have happened if we had cameras in the courtroom. Just say’n.
4449
Reposted by Sonja West
Panamerican Dispatch @padispatch.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Like Trump, Kash Patel keeps suing the press. “The goals here,” said @sonjawest.bsky.social, “appear to be to muddy the narrative, run up opponents’ legal bills & send a message to journalists that if you cover us critically, it’s going to cost you time & money.” www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/b...
nytimes.com
Kash Patel Keeps Suing the Press
001
Reposted by Sonja West
Alan Chen @profalankchen.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Thread-Professor Ashutosh Bhagwat (@ucdavislaw.bsky.social) & I are pleased to announce the publication of our edited volume of thoughtful essays on free speech from renowned legal scholars from around the world, The Elgar Companion to Freedom of Speech and Expression www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/the...
e-elgar.com
The Elgar Companion to Freedom of Speech and Expression
This comprehensive book examines the theoretical underpinnings of free speech and provides crucial insights into the contemporary resurgence of debates over its importance. Contributing authors critic...
1126
Reposted by Sonja West
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18/05/2026
The New York Times on Monday accused the Defense Department of violating the First Amendment by requiring journalists to have an official escort at all times when visiting the Pentagon. The suit is the second time the newspaper has sued over the Trump administration’s restrictions on reporters.
nyti.ms
New York Times Sues Pentagon for a Second Time
The Times is challenging a new requirement that reporters covering the military complex have an official escort, part of a broader legal challenge to the Pentagon’s press restrictions.
516431
Reposted by Sonja West
Internet Archive @archive.org · 21/04/2026
🧵 The arguments behind landmark Supreme Court rulings have never been freely available… until now. More than 125,000 #SCOTUS records & briefs (1830–2019) are now open on the Internet Archive. Full announcement ⤵️ blog.archive.org/2026/04/20/u... @wolflawlibrary.bsky.social
The official seal of the United States Supreme Court, featuring a circular design with the words “Supreme Court of the United States” surrounding a central emblem of a balanced scale of justice and a laurel wreath, symbolizing law, authority, and fairness.
6897371
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Any news coverage of Trump’s threat of U.S. strikes where “a whole civilization will die” that does not include the words “war crimes” is failing to do journalism.
0102
Reposted by Sonja West
Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
The Supreme Court refuses to review an odious 5th Circuit decision granting qualified immunity to Texas officials who arrested a citizens-journalist in retaliation against her posing questions to public officials. Sotomayor has an appropriately furious dissent: www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR, dissenting from the denial of certiorari.
Petitioner Priscilla Villarreal is a reporter who was arrested for doing something journalists do every day: posing
questions to a public official. Specifically, Villarreal twice
texted with a police officer to corroborate information Villarreal already knew about events that had occurred within
her community. That officer voluntarily provided the information Villarreal sought, and Villarreal published those
facts, consistent with her role as a journalist. Six months
later, Villarreal was arrested for asking those questions.
Making matters worse, Villarreal alleges that the arrest followed a months-long effort by a police department and district attorney’s office to retaliate against her because they
disliked much of her reporting on their activities. Of course,
that reporting was often critical of them.
It should be obvious that this arrest violated the First
Amendment. Yet the Fifth Circuit held that the officials
were entitled to qualified immunity, and now Villarreal is
left without a remedy. The Court today makes a grave error
by declining to hear this case.
6025801063
Reposted by Sonja West
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 06/03/2026
The seizure of Washington Post reporter @hannahnatanson.bsky.social's devices likely killed far more stories than any court order ever could. Judge Porter should've done more to punish prosecutors, but he was right to call the raid what it was — a prior restraint.
freedom.press
A judge finally called a newsroom raid what it is
Seizures of journalists’ materials have the same impact as traditional prior restraints
110642
Reposted by Sonja West
Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Turner on Artificial Legal Agents Christian Turner (University of Georgia School of Law) has posted Artificial Legal Agents and the Alien Stance on SSRN. Here is the abstract: We find ourselves ensnared in an ever nastier and strident debate over AI and its role in law, society, and private life.…
legaltheoryblog.com
Turner on Artificial Legal Agents
Christian Turner (University of Georgia School of Law) has posted Artificial Legal Agents and the Alien Stance on SSRN. Here is the abstract: We find ourselves ensnared in an ever nastier and strident debate over AI and its role in law, society, and private life. Derided as mindless math or a stochastic parrot, AI is often shrugged off as just a bad tool, perhaps even the latest tech bro obsession after crypto and NFTs.
273
Reposted by Sonja West
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
TOMORROW: Join @randersenjones.bsky.social, @sonjawest.bsky.social, @ckoningisor.bsky.social, Helen Norton and @victorpickard.bsky.social on Zoom from 12-1:30 p.m. to discuss "The Future of Press Freedom." Register: events.zoom.us/ev/AmsN0eMJS...
RonNell Andersen Jones, Sonja West, Christina Koningisor, Helen Norton, Victor Pickard, and image of "The Future of Press Freedom" book.
044
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Any news coverage of these attacks that does not include the word “Congress” in either its headline or lede is failing to do journalism.
0154
Reposted by Sonja West
Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
New: As David Ellison prepares to take control of CNN, legendary CBS News producer Mary Walsh, who is exiting, sent a goodbye note to colleagues. In the note, Walsh writes, "We’ve been told to aim our reporting at a particular part of the political spectrum. Honestly, I don’t know how to do that."
10755761663
Reposted by Sonja West
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
This is great. A rich and insightful conversation about press freedom and contemporary threats to it—with @dahlialithwick.bsky.social & former @knightcolumbia.org visiting scholars @randersenjones.bsky.social & @sonjawest.bsky.social. slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
How the Supreme Court Enabled Trump’s Latest Free Press Assault
Something profound is happening to the right to gather news.
14816
Reposted by Sonja West
Dahlia Lithwick @dahlialithwick.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
chewing over tariffs with @mjsdc.bsky.social and taking a long hard look at the limits of the press clause and constitutional protections for newsgathering with @randersenjones.bsky.social and @sonjawest.bsky.social
shows.acast.com
Trump’s Tariffs Overturned | Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
Our long national tariff nightmare is over, but do we get our money back?
310037
Reposted by Sonja West
Lori Ringhand @loriringhand.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Very excited to get my author’s copy of “We the Voters: The Constitutional Choices that Shape America’s Elections.” This was a labor of love, and it is thrilling to see it materialize in the real world.
162
Reposted by Sonja West
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
Pinned
lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
Aug 19, 2021
Almost three years ago, my editor called me early one November morning. A wildfire had sparked near a town called Paradise, he said. Could I go? (1/13)
0:02 / 0:10
lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
47m
I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated.
Quote
lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
Jan 25
Waking up without power, heat, or running water. (Again.) 

But the work here in Kyiv continues. Warming up in the car, writing in pencil — pen ink freezes — by headlamp.
532218726841
Reposted by Sonja West
Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
“As an international organization, we know that the treatment of journalists is a leading indicator of the condition of a country’s democracy,” said CPJ CEO @jodieginsberg.bsky.social. Read more on the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort: cpj.org/2026/01/cpj-...
02018
Reposted by Sonja West
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press @rcfp.org · 30/01/2026
@rcfp.org's statement on the arrest of independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who were charged with violating federal law while covering a protest inside a Minnesota church. 🔗 Read more: www.rcfp.org/lemon-fort-a...
RCFP's Gabe Rottman: “It’s obviously concerning any time journalists are arrested in connection with their reporting. To our knowledge, it’s unprecedented for the Justice Department to deploy the federal laws it has previously cited in this case against journalistic activity. Historically, the limited number of cases that have been brought against a journalist documenting a protest on private property have been handled as trespass cases at the state level. Those charges are almost always dropped, or if the cases go to trial, the journalists typically prevail.”
318357
Reposted by Sonja West
Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Katherine Jacobsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists reacts to the arrest of Don Lemon: "As an international organization, we know that the treatment of journalists is an indicator of the condition of a country's democracy. The United States is doing poorly."
722485
Reposted by Sonja West
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 14/01/2026
The FBI’s raid today on the home of @washingtonpost.com reporter @hannahnatanson.bsky.social is an alarming escalation in the Trump administration’s war on the press. Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social explain how the DOJ is not only attacking the First Amendment but also ignoring federal law.
9311147
Reposted by Sonja West
University of Georgia School of Law @ugaschooloflaw.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Recent Faculty Presentations! Elizabeth Chamblee Burch presented at Yale University, Pamela Foohey presented at the University of Illinois, and Sonja West presented at the University of Chicago, Yale University and Columbia University. www.law.uga.edu/faculty-high...
Graphic shows headshots of the three professors mentioned, a UGA Law logo along with text that says “Faculty Presentations.”
001
Reposted by Sonja West
Thomas Kadri @thomaskadri.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Honored! Anyone curious to read the article can find it here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
Deepfake Torts: Emerging Tort Frameworks in U.S. Deepfake Regulation
As deepfake technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, American lawmakers are responding with a flurry of urgent legislative action to addres
041
Sonja West @sonjawest.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Thanks to @lsolum.bsky.social for naming my piece with @thomaskadri.bsky.social on Deepfake Torts as one of the top ten “Downloads of the Year” for 2025! legaltheoryblog.com/2026/01/01/d...
legaltheoryblog.com
Discover Our Latest Articles and Insights on Recent Topics
Explore our latest posts and stay updated with insightful articles covering a range of topics to enhance your knowledge.
042
Reposted by Sonja West
Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
You know what media is NOT bending the knee in the Trump era? College journalists! The Harvard Crimson's brutal takedown of the lecherous ex-prez Larry Summers is just the latest example of students showing a failing 'grown-up' media how it's done My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
inquirer.com
College journalism exposes the rot of ‘grown-ups’ | Will Bunch Newsletter
Plus a history lesson on the real ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ and fascism,
301649490
Reposted by Sonja West
Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 05/11/2025
Full house for "The Future of Press Freedom in an Era of Democratic Backsliding" panel. Thank you @randersenjones.bsky.social, @attorneynora.bsky.social, @azmatzahra.bsky.social, @joelsimonsays.bsky.social, @sulliview.bsky.social, & @sonjawest.bsky.social for joining us to discuss #pressfreedom.
0153
Reposted by Sonja West
Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 04/11/2025
📍TOMORROW: A panel of legal experts and journalists discuss how to protect #pressfreedom and support journalists under Trump. Feat. @randersenjones.bsky.social, @attorneynora.bsky.social, @azmatzahra.bsky.social, @joelsimonsays.bsky.social, @sulliview.bsky.social, and @sonjawest.bsky.social. RSVP.
042
Reposted by Sonja West
Thomas Kadri @thomaskadri.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
My new piece with @sonjawest.bsky.social is live in the Journal of Tort Law! Our original 50-state survey of 466 deepfake laws reveals a complex landscape in which lawmakers are experimenting with novel criminal, civil & administrative tools to address deepfakes. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
As deepfake technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, American lawmakers are responding with a flurry of urgent legislative action to address its potential harms. Our 50-state survey of proposed and enacted deepfake legislation reveals a complex regulatory landscape in which jurisdictions are adopting a range of legal approaches, including criminal punishments, civil remedies, or a combination of methods. We also find that legislators are frequently turning to tort-law frameworks to address the harms of deepfakes. This article explores the current landscape of tort-based regulations of deepfakes. In addition to providing an overview of the most recent legislative developments, we unpack and compare the various tort-law methods arising at the state and federal level. We further consider how lawmakers are modifying existing tort laws to address the unique concerns raised by deepfakes.
While individualistic tort remedies allow victims of deepfakes to seek direct recourse through familiar private rights of action, our analysis also identifies practical and conceptual limitations with this approach. Traditional tort frameworks struggle to address key challenges posed by deepfakes, including anonymous creation, viral distribution at technological scale, and harms affecting both individuals and society broadly.
In light of these limitations, legislators are innovatively adapting traditional tort concepts—such as standing, mental states, causation, immunities, and remedies—to address deepfakes’ unique characteristics. Yet the very need for these adaptations reveals some of tort law’s shortcomings and suggests a space for complementary regulatory approaches. We consider some potential approaches that could provide this more complete framework, like tort liability for entities that enable deepfake creation and circulation, and civil enforcement mechanisms that empower state actors to vindicate both individual and societal interests. Ultimately, our finding…
0195
Reposted by Sonja West
Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 15/10/2025
📌 11/5 EVENT: A panel of legal experts and journalists discuss how to protect #pressfreedom and support journalists under Trump. Feat. @randersenjones.bsky.social, @attorneynora.bsky.social, @azmatzahra.bsky.social, @joelsimonsays.bsky.social, @sulliview.bsky.social, & @sonjawest.bsky.social. RSVP.
02819
Reposted by Sonja West
Thomas Kadri @thomaskadri.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Thanks to @lsolum.bsky.social for the generous recommendation of my forthcoming piece with @sonjawest.bsky.social!
031
Reposted by Sonja West
Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Download of the Week: "Deepfake Torts" by Kadri & West,, buff.ly/mHVqTbJ - The Download of the Week is Deepfake Torts: Emerging Tort Frameworks in U.S. Deepfake Regulation by Thomas Kadri & Sonja West.
lsolum.typepad.com
Download of the Week: "Deepfake Torts" by Kadri & West
The Download of the Week is Deepfake Torts: Emerging Tort Frameworks in U.S. Deepfake Regulation by Thomas Kadri & Sonja West . Here is the abstract: As deepfake technology becomes increasingly…
033
Reposted by Sonja West
Hannah BW @hbwhbwhbw.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
I wrote for the @nytimes.com about the administration’s abandonment of statistics and data in favor of information as an instrument of raw control
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Fires Officials, but He Can’t Avoid Facts
45927