When in-jokes go viral: Looking back at the funniest (and most worrying) fake news about Trump’s assassination attempt
Jacopo Menghini (PhD graduate, University of Bologna)

The ‘Mark Violets’ rumor
July 13th 2024 will be remembered as the day of the assassination attempt on Donald J. Trump, …
Warning: Satirical Content Ahead
Babette De Naeyer (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona)

Last month, Mark Zuckerberg made headlines after declaring that Meta would stop its independent fact-checking program in the United States …
‘Cutting Edge’ Podcast: The One About the Law

‘Cutting Edge’ is a podcast produced by the Australasian Humour Studies Network and hosted by Benjamin Nickl (University of Sydney). This week’s episode, focusing on humor and the law, features ForHum co-director Alberto Godioli as co-host, and our regular collaborator …
In a Manner of Speaking: Two Victories for Humor and Figurative Language
Dr Alberto Godioli (University of Groningen)

November 2024 was a momentous month in the world of humor and the law, as well as a mixed bag for freedom of expression. On the one hand, humorous speech (in the form of …
Parody, Passing Off, and Freedom of Expression: Lessons from Samherji v. Odee
Dr Sabine Jacques (University of Liverpool)

Last week, the High Court of Justice in London issued its summary judgment in the case of Samherji v. Odee [2024] EWHC 2892 (Ch). The case …
Holy Moly! Blasphemy in the UK?
Dr Jennifer Young (University of Groningen)

The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled last week that this advertisement featuring the image of comedian Fern Brady breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 4.1 (Harm and offence). …
Council of Europe Roundtable on Cartoons, Populism and Democracy

On November 7th, 2024, Cartooning for Peace convened a roundtable as part of the World Forum of Democracy, which took place at the Council of Europe from Nov 6th to Nov 8th. Please find below more details about the roundtable:…
What’s in a Joke? Panel and Roundtable Recording

Humor is often at the center of complex legal cases and content moderation decisions regarding free speech and its limits. How can judges – or social media platforms – navigate the gray areas between satire and defamation, provocative jokes and …
When is a coconut not a coconut?
Dr Jennifer Young (University of Groningen)

Recently British school teacher Marieha Hussain discovered that a photograph of her had ‘gone viral’. In the photograph she was holding a placard depicting the British former Prime Minister Rishi …