NYT panned for saying RFK Jr. hearing 'raised thorny questions' whether 'misinformation' is protected speech

The New York Times was pummeled by critics for saying Thursday's congressional hearing featuring Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "raised thorny questions" about whether misinformation is protected speech. 

Kennedy appeared before the Weaponization of the Federal Government House Select Subcommittee to discuss how both the Trump and Biden administrations made efforts to censor him during the COVID pandemic, with social media companies banning his accounts. 

During the hearing, House Democrats tried unsuccessfully to remove Kennedy from the hearing, prompting him to say, "This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing."

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. HOPES TO SIDESTEP MEDIA'S ‘COMIC BOOK CHARACTERIZATIONS’ OF HIM

Robert Kennedy Jr., 2024 Presidential hopeful, testifies at the "Weaponization of the Federal Government" hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 20, 2023.  ((Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) )

The Times' coverage of the hostile exchanges on Capitol Hill seemed far more sympathetic to the stance being held by the Democratic lawmakers.

"Despite the theater, the hearing raised thorny questions about free speech in a democratic society: Is misinformation protected by the First Amendment? When is it appropriate for the federal government to seek to tamp down the spread of falsehood?" the Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg wrote Thursday. 

The line of questions printed by the Times drew intense backlash on social media. 

"Misinformation is free speech," National Review contributor Pradheep J. Shanker simply answered.

RFK JR. OFF BIDEN FAMILY CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS: WON'T BE A ‘SPEAR TIP TO MY CAMPAIGN’

The New York Times was slammed by critics for posing questions about "misinformation" not being protected by the First Amendment. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

"Even 10 years ago, journalists would be too embarrassed to say the US Govt has a role to play in censoring the internet to ‘tamp down’ on ‘falsehoods.’ Because online censorship is now so central to the liberal establishment, they don't realize how twisted it is to say this," independent journalist Glenn Greenwald reacted. "It's also staggering to see a NYT journalist muse that ‘misinformation’ isn't ‘protected by the 1st Amendment.’ The NYT spent 18 months telling Americans that Saddam had WMDs. This would mean there'd be no barrier to prosecute or sue the NYT for spreading that disinformation."

"Hard to believe mainstream media journalists are now openly expressing their ignorance of basic First Amendment principles because their political ideology has now made opposing free speech a key tenant of the party platform," Outkick writer Ian Miller tweeted.

"This would require a National Bureau of Checking Facts that produces an Official Version of the Truth," Wall Street Journal film critic Kyle Smith satirized. 

"Yes, this paragraph appeared in @nytimes. Which appears to have completely, totally lost its way and forgotten the business it is in," Substack writer Alex Berenson tweeted.

"It is horrifying," conservative radio host Tony Katz replied.

DEMOCRATS TRY TO CENSOR, REMOVE RFK JR. AT HEARING ON CENSORSHIP 

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at the libertarian FreedomFest conference in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday July 15, 2023.  (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

Versus Media Podcast host Stephen L. Miller used the Times' own reporting against the paper, sharing the infamous 2020 headline that read "Senator Tom Cotton Repeats Fringe Theory of Coronavirus Origins," which cast doubt in the Wuhan lab-leak theory in the early weeks of the pandemic. 

"I don't know. Let's start here," Miller told the Times.

The Times did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. 

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Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.