Cohen v. Cowles Media Co.
Case Date: 05/06/1991
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Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., 501 U.S. 663 (1991)[1], was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that freedom of the press does not exempt journalists from generally applicable laws.
Dan Cohen, a Republican associated with Wheelock Whitney's 1982 Minnesota gubernatorial run, provided inculpatory information on the Democratic challenger for Lieutenant Governor, Marlene Johnson, to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press in exchange for a promise that his identity as the source would not be published. Over the reporters' objections, both editors from the two newspapers independently decided to publish his name. He consequently lost his job at an advertising agency. He sued Cowles Media Company, who owned the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
In 1988, a jury of six found in Cohen's favor. The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed. The United States Supreme Court remanded the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which reinstated the jury's original verdict of $200,000.
The Cowles Media Company was found to have committed a breach of contract called promissory estoppel.
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