Question: Freedom of the Press
(a) A promoter of theatrical productions applied to a municipal board (charged with managing a city-leased theater) for a license to stage the play Hair. Relying on outside reports that because of nudity the production would not be in the best interests of the community, the board rejected the application. The promoter sought a court order permitting it to use the auditorium. Why should the court allow the production to proceed?
(b) What are the distinctions in how the law treats public persons versus private persons with respect to defamation?