Gizmodo general counsel reflects on worrying legal climate for journalism

Journalists at Gizmodo Media Group haven’t shied away from hard-hitting reporting since Hulk Hogan’s privacy lawsuit bankrupted its parent company, Gawker, in 2016. That’s according to Gizmodo general counsel Lynn Oberlander, who says “the reason they hired me is because I’m a journalist’s lawyer, and they want to be in a position to do aggressive journalism.” “Our president has contributed to the atmosphere with which people think they can bring crazy claims against the media and maybe win,” Oberlander said. Oberlander said libel, in particular, “is back.” Recent big-money settlements have had a chilling effect on sections of the press.