The document provides an overview of the historical perspectives of the origins and development of a free press. It discusses early challenges to a free press from colonial governments. It then covers the development of newspapers in colonial America and revolutionary press during the American Revolution. Key figures discussed include Benjamin Franklin and the passage of the Bill of Rights. The document also summarizes laws and events that threatened press freedom such as the Alien and Sedition Acts and World War I/II censorship.

1. Week 2
Historical Perspectives

3. What
will we cover today?

4. 1. Origins of & challenges to a free press

5. 1. Origins of & challenges to a free press
2. Financing and developing a free press

6. 1. Origins of & challenges to a free press
2. Financing and developing a free press
3. Sensationalizing the press

7. 1. Origins of & challenges to a free press
2. Financing and developing a free press
3. Sensationalizing the press
4. Threats to and adjustments by the press

8. 1. Origins of & challenges to a free press
2. Financing and developing a free press
3. Sensationalizing the press
4. Threats to and adjustments by the press
5. Pedagogy

9. Origins of
& challenges to
a free press

10. Printing
z z
Long history
Spread of printing = agent for change

11. z z z z News
Newspapers did not create news
News becomes a commodity
British monarch & prior restraint
First newspaper (March 11, 1702 in
London) Daily Courant

12. State of free expression
z
“We have not free schools nor
printing...For learning has brought
disobedience and heresy and sects into the
world; and printing has divulged them and
libels against government. God keep us
from both.”
– Williams Berkeley, Virginia Governor, 1671

13. William Bradford
z z
Philadelphia 1685
Arrested for printing
pamphlet critical of
Quaker government
z Moved to New York
1693

14. Colonial Press
z
Benjamin Harris:
Public Occurrences,
Both Forreign and
Domestick
z Reported that the French
king had ...well.. “hooked up”
with his daughter-in-law, the
princess.

15. Colonial Press
z
Benjamin Harris:
Public Occurrences,
Both Forreign and
Domestick
z Reported that the French
king had ...well.. “hooked up”
with his daughter-in-law, the
princess.

16. Colonial Press
z
James Franklin: New
England Courant
z
First North American
newspaper to supply public
with what they liked &
needed
z
Without authority
(established editorial
independence)

17. Colonial Press
z
Benjamin Franklin:
Pennsylvania Gazette
z
Anonymous essays
(“Busy-Body Papers”)
z z
First cartoon
“An Apology For Printers” (1731)
Printers are educated in the Belief, that when Men differ in
Opinion, both Sides ought equa&y to have the Advantage of
being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error
have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the
latter.

18. Colonial Press
z
Benjamin Franklin:
Pennsylvania Gazette
z
Anonymous essays
(“Busy-Body Papers”)
z z
First cartoon
“An Apology For Printers” (1731)
Printers are educated in the Belief, that when Men differ in
Opinion, both Sides ought equa&y to have the Advantage of
being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error
have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the
latter.

19. Colonial Press
z
John Peter Zenger,
New York Weekly Journal
z
New York gov. Wm. Cosby
replaces Lewis Morris as
chief justice; Zenger
publishes an article critical of
Cosby – probably written by
Morris
Cosby Morris

20. Colonial Press
z
Seditious libel –
greater the truth,
the greater the
libel
z
Andrew Hamilton
argued inherent
right to write or
speak the truth

22. z
Revolutionary Press
The Stamp Act of 1765
z z z
Increased cost
Censorship
Repealed after one year

23. Revolutionary
Press
z
Stamp act leads to
politicization of press
z
Colonial Press was mostly
politically neutral, religious in
nature
z
Tombstone issue

25. Philosophical Influences
z
Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense

26. Philosophical Influences
z
John Milton’s
Areopagitica

27. Philosophical Influences
z
John Locke:
Individual’s right to
choose their
government

28. Bill of Rights - 1791
z
Anti-Federalists
insist upon it
z
First Amendment
z
Nine of 13 states
already had such a
provision

29. Bill of Rights - 1791
z
Anti-Federalists
insist upon it
z
First Amendment
z
Nine of 13 states
already had such a
provision

30. Bill of Rights - 1791

31. Bill of Rights - 1791

32. Bill of Rights - 1791
Congress sha& make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
'ee exercise therof; or abridging the
'eedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress
of grievances

33. Alien & Sedition Acts 1798
z
Extended naturalization: 5 to
14 years
z
President could deport any
male over age of 14 viewed to
be a threat and were subjects
of countries at war with U.S.
z
Illegal to conspire to oppose
measures of the government
(write, utter, publish, etc.)

34. Benjamin Franklin Bache
z
Philadelphia Aurora &
General Advertiser
zz
Anti-Federalist
Criticized George
Washington, John
Adams
z
Indicted the day it
became law – $4,000
zbail
Died of yellow fever
before trial

35. Benjamin Franklin Bache
z
Philadelphia Aurora &
General Advertiser
zz
Anti-Federalist
Criticized George
Washington, John
Adams
z
Indicted the day it
became law – $4,000
zbail
Died of yellow fever
before trial

36. Jefferson on Free Press
z
“Were it left to me to decide
whether we should have a
government without newspapers
or newspapers without a
government, I should not
hesitate for a moment to prefer
the latter.”
(In a letter to Colonel Edward Carrington, 16 January 1787)

37. Jefferson on Free Press
z
“Were it left to me to decide
whether we should have a
government without newspapers
or newspapers without a
government, I should not
hesitate for a moment to prefer
the latter.”
(In a letter to Colonel Edward Carrington, 16 January 1787)

38. Harry Croswell
zz
W (Federalist)
asp
Charged with seditious libel
in 1804
z
Used Zenger defense, but
lost
zNevertheless, argument has
great appeal & leads to New
York passing the country’s
first law to accept truth as a
defense

39. Comstock Law 1873
• Creates New York Society for
the Suppression of Vice
• Convinces Congress to pass
Comstock Law, outlawing
delivery of “obscene and
lascivious” materials
Anthony Comstock

40. Espionage Act 1917
• Crime to interfere with the
operation or success of the armed
forces or to promote success of
enemy
• Punishable by death or 30 years in
prison
• Sedition Act 1918 illegal to speak
Eugene Debs out against the government

41. World War II Censorship
• War Powers Act includes
provisions for censorship
• Executive order establishes
Office of Censorship
Byron Price
• Information of value to enemy
• Voluntary within the country
• Censors employed in theater

42. George Strock, LIFE

43. Office of War Information
Originally Coordinator of
Information
Elmer Davis

44. Paul White - CBS News
• 1933 - First radio
network news
operation
• Bureaus in New York,
Washington, Chicago,
Los Angeles
• Newspaper stringers

45. Edward R. Murrow

46. Post-War
• Fred Friendly
• 1950-52 “Hear it Now”
• 1952 “See It Now” begins
• Sponsor - Alcoa
• “Christmas in Korea”
• “High Murrow”

47. Post-War
• Fred Friendly
• 1950-52 “Hear it Now”
• 1952 “See It Now” begins
• Sponsor - Alcoa
• “Christmas in Korea”
• “High Murrow”

48. Person to Person
• Celebrity interviews
• Rehearsed, live look
• “Low Murrow”

50. McCarthyism
• Senator Joseph McCarthy
(R) Wisconsin
• Claimed Eisenhower
government infiltrated by
Communists
• Claims made at height of
“Red Scare” and blacklisting

51. Milo Radulovich
• Air Force meteorologist
• Ordered to sever ties with
his father

53. William S. Paley