Freedom of the Press is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the United States. The press has long been a vehicle for political discussion, and as such a target of government censure. In fact, attempts in the United States to squash unfavorable material predates the Declaration of Independence. However, the press has also proved incredibly influential in the course of history; it provided Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay an avenue to promote the ratification of the US Constitution. It allowed Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to investigate and publicize the Watergate scandal, leading to the only presidential resignation in US History. That Woodward and Bernstein were able to publish news that was particularly damaging to the government is no small tribute to the privilege the press enjoys in the United States.

The founding fathers viewed the press as so critical to the country’s overall wellbeing that freedom of the press figures as one of the guarantees of the First Amendment. However, what, exactly, does “freedom of the press” mean? The Supreme Court has interpreted and reinterpreted the rights conferred on the press by the First Amendment. One major result of this interpretation is that courts do not view freedom of the press as an unqualified right. Rather, press freedom is guaranteed only within certain limitations. However, the Supreme Court has also expanded freedom of the press by protecting many rights that are not directly linked to publication or distribution, but which the Court nevertheless found critical to the press’ role in society.