Michael K. Park is a media law and sports communication scholar, and a licensed attorney. His research centers on how disruptions sparked by political developments and advancements in communication technology compel a reexamination of—and test—First Amendment principles and values in the public sphere. Moreover, his research is informed by the civic conception of free speech and the theories of democratic deliberation, and his inquiries examine the political dimension of free speech policies in media, education and sport. His research interests also include media studies of race and gender in sport and sports diplomacy. 

Park has published over a dozen scholarly publications in mass communication journals, law reviews and edited books, including Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Communication Law & Policy, University of Colorado Law Review, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, First Amendment Studies, Communication & Sport, and the Journal of Communication Inquiry. He has also been awarded Top Faculty Paper awards at the National Communication Association (NCA) and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conferences. He has also been a commentator for NBC News and and Smerconish POTUS Politics SiriusXM. In addition to research, Michael serves on the Editorial Board of the journals, Communication Law & Policy and Communication Law Review.

Selected Publications

• Michael K. Park. (2023). Titles and Pronouns in the Academy: Academic Freedom and In-Class Speech Pursuant to Classroom Management.  17(1) Depaul Journal for Social Justice 1. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2023). Free Expression in Private Stadia: The Public-Private Nexus and the Reclamation of Free Expression in Sport. 45(2) U.C. Law S.F. Communications & Entertainment Journal 111. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2022). The Art of War: Global Speech Diktats and the Regulatory Challenges to Address Foreign Political Censorship. 2(1) Florida Entertainment & Sports Law Review 41. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2022). “‘Stick to Sports’?: First Amendment Values and Limitations to Student-Athlete Expression.” Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. DOI: 10.1177/10776990211018757. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2021). “A Matter of Public Concern: The Case for Academic Freedom Rights of Public University Faculty.”  Communication Law & Policy, Vol. 26, no. 1. DOI: 10.1080/10811680.2021.1856602. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2020). “Sovereignty and Free Speech Rights of Higher Education Institutions: An Affirmative and Institutional Approach.”  First Amendment Studies, Vol. 54, no. 1.  DOI: 10.1080/21689725.2020.1743197. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2018). Fact from Fiction: The First Amendment Case for Addressing Fake News on Social Media, 46 Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 1. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2018). The Medium is the Message: Digital Aesthetics and Publicity Interests in Interactive Entertainment Media, 89 University of Colorado Law Review 1165. Link to publication

• Michael K. Park. (2017). “Long Shot: The Prospects and Limitations of Sports and Celebrity Athlete Diplomacy.” InMedia. 6|2017. Link to publication