Essay about Freedom of the Press - 5620 Words

Freedom of the Press Although a cherished right of the people, freedom of the press is different from other liberties of the people in that it is both individual and institutional. It applies not just to a single persons right to publish ideas, but also to the right of print and broadcast media to express political views and to cover and publish news. A free press is, therefore, one of the foundations of a democratic society, and as Walter Lippmann, the 20th-century American columnist, wrote, A free press is not a privilege, but an organic necessity in a great society. Indeed, as society has grown increasingly complex, people rely more and more on newspapers, radio, and television to keep abreast with world news, opinion, and†¦show more content†¦Every freeman has undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this is to destroy the freedom of the press: but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous, or illegal, he must take the consequences of his own temerit y. But what constituted blasphemous, immoral, treasonable, schismatic, seditious or scandalous libels? They were, in fact, whatever the government defined them to be, and in essence, any publication even mildly critical of government policy or leaders could lead to a term in prison or worse. In such a subjective judgment, truth mattered not at all. The American colonists brought English common law across the Atlantic, and colonial officials had as little toleration for the press as did their masters back home. In 1735, the royal governor of New York, William Cosby, charged newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger with seditious libel for criticizing Cosbys removal of a judge who had ruled against the governors interests in an important case. Under traditional principles as enunciated by Blackstone, Zenger had a right to publish his criticism, but now had to face the consequences. However, Zengers attorney, Andrew Hamilton, convinced the jury to acquit Zenger on the grounds that what he had published was true. Although it would be many years before the notion of truth as a complete defense to libel would be accepted in either English or American law, the case did establish an important politicalShow MoreRelatedThe Freedom Of The Press1124 Words   |  5 Pagesoften looked at as one of the most important, protecting the right to pr actice religion, to assemble, to petition the government, and the freedom of the press. The protection of these rights is essential to help maintain the United States a free and democratic country. I believe the most important rights are the right to practice religion and the freedom of the press. As I will explain in my essay, these two rights are paramount to the success of a democratic country. The first amendment stands as aRead MoreEssay on Freedom of the Press1133 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom of the press is part of the five main freedoms represented in the first amendment of the constitution of the United States. The constitution was ratified in 1791 putting freedom of the press in full development. Since then many cases have evolved with this freedom, and the freedom had some role of developing future amendments and technology in modern day. Freedom of the press had a history even before its ratification, it helped to solve many court cases, and is used throughout modern timesRead MoreCensorship Freedom Of The Press1746 Words   |  7 PagesThe press represents the voice of many individuals in the world. Censoring the press would signify the suppression of billions of voices that strive to be heard. Many definitions of press freedom have been provided by different scholars in many different scholarly sources. Dennis and Merrill (1991, p.5) defined freedom of the pr ess as the right to communicate ideas, opinions, and information through the printed world without government restraint. On the other part, Sunwoo Nam and Inhwan Oh (1973Read MoreFreedom of the Press Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom of the Press and How It Has Affected the American Political Process throughout History ------------------------------------------------- Presented in Partial fulfillment of the Requirement for American Federal Gov 1114 Mark L. Hays Tulsa Community College ------------------------------------------------- By E-Man June 13, 2010 Freedom of the Press is a yearly report by U.S-based non-governmental organization freedom house, measuring the level of freedomRead MoreBanning The Freedom Of The Press897 Words   |  4 Pageschoosing and form his or her own opinions based on the reading. Micah Issitt lists three basic rights covered under the freedom of the press: the right to publish, the right to confidentiality of sources, and the right of citizens to access the products of the press. My second reason specifically addresses the last right stating that citizens should have access to the press. The government should not restrict books from being published or interfere into personal affairs as this is an infringementRead MoreFreedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press in Nigeria972 Words   |  4 Pagesconsists of 36 states and its Federal Capital, Abuja. Freedom of Speech in Nigeria has been talked about for many years. Campaigns have been put in place against the government to come up with new laws t hat protect the people, and the press, to express their opinions and what they believe in. According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948), â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seekRead MoreFoundations and Limits of Freedom of the Press705 Words   |  3 PagesIn â€Å"Foundations and Limits of Freedom of the Press, â€Å" Judith Lichtenberg explores the ongoing controversial argument surrounding the regulation of the press and mass media. She evaluates the ability of the press to shape our opinions and values through an examination of the interdependent relationship between freedom of speech and press. Furthermore, she notes that, while the two rights appear similar as they are both considered as forms of self-expression, it is important to differ between the twoRead MoreThe World Press Freedom Index Essay855 Words   |  4 PagesRWB was founded in 1985 in France. At the beginning, the organization promoted alternative journalism to later change its focus towards press freedom. Even though RWB is most famous for its annual World Press Freedom Index, another important sphere of its activity is related to assistance to journalists assigned to dangerous areas. In order to develop the 2010 index, RWB sent a questionnaire to about 130 correspondents in the world, among them journalists, researchers, attorneys and human rightsRead MoreThe Government s Freedom Of Press974 Words   |  4 PagesSince the Turkish state was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatà ¼rk in 1923, the press in Turkey has never been free. The first government was ruled by the Atatà ¼rk’s party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which claimed to be liberal and modernist; however, they made a law which could shut down and /or censor any newspapers which they did not like. (Bulut, 2015). During the CHP era, 130 newspapers and magazines were banned. Although many parties’ names have changed throughout the years, the rulingRead MoreFreedom of the Press by George Orwell3887 Words   |  16 Pagesï » ¿George Orwell – The Freedom of the Press (alternate preface) This book was first thought of, so far as the central idea goes, in 1937, but was not written down until about the end of 1943. By the time when it came to be written it was obvious that there would be great difficulty in getting it published (in spite of the present book shortage which ensures that anything describable as a book will sell ), and in the event it was refused by four publishers. Only one of these had any ideological