After the signing of the Constitution, the role of the press increased as time went on. It became easier for citizens to get information because technology was advancing. The printing press had already been invented but there were advancements made to make the machine more efficient. It became power driven making it easier to print more in a smaller amount of time. Offset printing became popular for books and magazines so that they could be in color. By 1950, the internet came along and computers revolutionized printing which also made the spread of information much easier. Through all of the innovations freedom of the press has remained constant because of its importance in holding the government accountable.
The advances in technology were …show more content…
There were many Americans making poor statements about the United States and the war. The Espionage Act was passed in 1917 and then revised in the Sedition Act of 1918. The espionage act stated “Individuals were sentenced to as many as twenty years in prison for expressing opinions regarded as disloyal or obstructive to the war effort, and critical publications could be declared unmailable.” This law was passed aimed at socialists to prohibit them from making any statements about the war. All mail that was going in and out of the United States was monitored by a Censorship Board. Wilson felt the need to use his authority because “’some persons,’ presumably the German-language and socialist press in particular, could be ‘highly dangerous to the nation in the midst of war.” This heavily restricted what reporters could report on and what the presses could publish which took away the meaning of freedom of the press in the first place. War was an interesting time because reporters were ridiculed for their interactions with the military. The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921 but parts of it remain. The president still has the right to censor information pertinent to national security and is the only member in government that has this protection. Even though the president may withhold information, full freedom of the press was restored after the …show more content…
In 1971, the “Pentagon Papers” caused some trouble in the realm of secret information in the court case New York Times vs. United States. The situation was that some journalists obtained confidential papers and the government sued them because of the papers pertinence to national security and did not want them published. In court, they found no evidence that the papers were a threat to national security or American involvement in the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court ruled, “Prohibiting the newspapers from publishing them [Pentagon Papers] was an unconstitutional act of prepublication restraint.” This court case emphasized the importance of free press in our country because the government represents the people. The classification system in the government was questioned because as much information as possible should be released. Government security is important but Freedom of the Press is more important to the minds of
The advances in technology were …show more content…
There were many Americans making poor statements about the United States and the war. The Espionage Act was passed in 1917 and then revised in the Sedition Act of 1918. The espionage act stated “Individuals were sentenced to as many as twenty years in prison for expressing opinions regarded as disloyal or obstructive to the war effort, and critical publications could be declared unmailable.” This law was passed aimed at socialists to prohibit them from making any statements about the war. All mail that was going in and out of the United States was monitored by a Censorship Board. Wilson felt the need to use his authority because “’some persons,’ presumably the German-language and socialist press in particular, could be ‘highly dangerous to the nation in the midst of war.” This heavily restricted what reporters could report on and what the presses could publish which took away the meaning of freedom of the press in the first place. War was an interesting time because reporters were ridiculed for their interactions with the military. The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921 but parts of it remain. The president still has the right to censor information pertinent to national security and is the only member in government that has this protection. Even though the president may withhold information, full freedom of the press was restored after the …show more content…
In 1971, the “Pentagon Papers” caused some trouble in the realm of secret information in the court case New York Times vs. United States. The situation was that some journalists obtained confidential papers and the government sued them because of the papers pertinence to national security and did not want them published. In court, they found no evidence that the papers were a threat to national security or American involvement in the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court ruled, “Prohibiting the newspapers from publishing them [Pentagon Papers] was an unconstitutional act of prepublication restraint.” This court case emphasized the importance of free press in our country because the government represents the people. The classification system in the government was questioned because as much information as possible should be released. Government security is important but Freedom of the Press is more important to the minds of