EPISODE 2: Samantha Barbas

In this podcast, Siobhan interviews Samantha Barbas, Professor of Law at University of Buffalo School of Law, about her new book Laws of Image: Privacy and Publicity in America, which provides a history of Americans’ use of law to manage their public image. Barbas approaches this endeavor from the perspective of a legal and cultural historian, tracking the correlation between a growing American image consciousness and the rise of laws, such as the tort of invasion of privacy and damages for emotional distress, which enabled individuals to control and defend their public persona.