Freedom of the Press

From the earliest days of our country, a free press has been considered to be vital to the cause of liberty. After all, how can we be responsible citizens if we have no access to information? How can we freely form opinions if the news is censored? As Americans, we are justifiably proud that we live in an open society. We are free to think, speak, and write according to our own beliefs. Freedom of the press is so important to us that it is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the First Amendment.

Since we celebrate the virtues of a free press, we are right to be upset when this freedom is abused. Distortions in the media, whether in print or online, have the power to corrupt and destroy. A perfect example of this occurred recently. A brief excerpt of a speech by a government employee, Shirley Sherrod, was posted to the internet and used to accuse her of racism. Her remarks were actually about overcoming racism but they were taken out of context, making it seem as if the opposite was true. Before the full story came out, Ms. Sherrod suffered undeserved damage to her reputation and was forced to resign from her job. This incident shows that when news is unreliable, poor decisions follow and honest discussion of serious issues becomes much more difficult.

Freedom of the press, like all other liberties, comes with a cost. The price we must pay is the hard work necessary to become educated and thoughtful. Short of giving up our press freedom, the only way to protect against lies in the media is to be smart enough not to believe them. When we have learned to recognize the distortion techniques of propaganda, we are less likely to be misled by them.

DISCUSSION:

1. In the news media, how can you tell the difference between a news report and an editorial?
2. Are there any opinions that are so unpopular or dangerous that they should be forbidden in the media? If so, who should have the power to decide?
3. How has the news media changed in recent years? Explain how you think these changes make it easier or harder to be well informed?
4. What challenges exist to a free press today?

RESEARCH:

Study the history of freedom of the press in America. How did these ideas develop and change over time. Research the following court cases:

• The trial of John Peter Zenger (1735)
• Near v. Minnesota (1931)
• Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC (1969)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1971)
• Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
• Turner Broadcasting v. FCC (1994)
• Reno v. ACLU (1997)
• Bartnicki v. Vopper (2001)