When Hulk Hogan sued Gawker in a Florida state court for releasing a sex tape, it opened a can of worms concerning the limits of the First Amendment. Hogan’s case was funded by Silicon Valley libertarian Peter Thiel, who had his own vendetta against Gawker. Filmmaker Brian Knappenberger digs deep into this case and others to reveal a burgeoning battle over free speech in America.
Besides Hogan’s case, Nobody Speak also looks at casino owner Sheldon Adelson’s purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal to influence its coverage. For billionaires who want to shape the media according to their wishes, money is no object. For the rest of us, this film is a bracing wake-up call.