Over the past two decades, there have been a series of events that have brought into question the concept and practice of free expression. In this book, Brian Winston provides an account of the current state of freedom of expression in the Western World. He analyses all the most pertinent cases of conflict during the last two decades - including the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the incident of the Danish cartoons and offended celebrities - examining cultural, legal and journalistic aspects in each case.
A Right to Offend offers a deeper understanding of the increasingly threatening environment in which free speech operates and is defended, as well as how it informs and is central to journalism practice and media freedom more generally. It is important reading for anyone interested in freedom of expression in the twenty-first century.