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Up To Date

Social Media Maelstrom: Is A Tweet Protected Speech?

Should lawmakers withhold funding from the University of Kansas if the school doesn’t fire a professor over a highly controversial tweet? Professor David Guth blasted the National Rifle Association on Twitter in the wake of the Navy Yard shooting on Twitter, and now many are calling for accountability.

In the first part of Tuesday's Up to Date, we discuss just how far employers can go when their employees make charged statements on social media.  

KU Journalism professor David Guth has received criticism from peers over his recent Tweet, but some Kansas lawmakers are saying he should be fired -- or they'll withhold university funding.

  Guests:

  • Michael Selmi is the Samuel Tyler Research Professor of Law at George Washington University.
  • Robert Shibley is senior vice president at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education in Philadelphia.
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Cody Newill is part of KCUR's audience development team. Follow him on Twitter @CodyNewill or email him at cody@kcur.org.