The Free Press and American Society
Evolution of Current Laws and Standards
For a society to be considered truly democratic, there should be a high degree of protection accorded to the expression of ideas in published form, whether the medium is newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, motion pictures, television, or, most recently, the Internet. The American experience over a period of two centuries offers an illuminating example of one nation’s attempt to set ground rules for expression. Of course, these experiences are unique to the culture and history of the United States, but the general principles they elucidate have wide applications in other democratic societies.The U.S. Constitution, the essential bedrock of the American…
