In the 1974 case Cox Broadcasting Corp. et al. v. Cohn, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of a broadcasting company that had been sued for invasion of privacy by a father whose daughter's name was publicly disclosed during a news report about her rape and murder trial. The Georgia state law under which Mr.Cohn filed his lawsuit made it illegal to publicize a rape victim’s name without consent from their family members or legal representatives. However, the Supreme Court held that this law violated First Amendment rights because it prohibited accurate reporting on matters of public significance where information has already been made available in official court records open to public inspection.The decision emphasized that freedom of press takes precedence over individual privacy concerns when dealing with issues related to judicial proceedings and other matters of significant public interest.

In the dissenting opinion for Cox Broadcasting Corp. et al. v. Cohn, Justice William Rehnquist argued that the majority's decision to prioritize First Amendment rights over privacy interests was misguided and overly broad in scope. He contended that states should have the power to protect their citizens from unwanted publicity regarding private matters such as sexual assault cases, even if those facts are part of public records or court proceedings. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority's assertion that media organizations could not be held liable for publishing truthful information obtained legally; instead, he believed there were circumstances where this could constitute an invasion of privacy punishable by law.