Freedom of the Press

April 1, 2017
Grades 6-9 As stories regarding First Amendment rights fill the news, students might want clarification on what freedom of the press actually means. This installment in the Our Basic Freedoms series nicely outlines the conception and expansion of our current understanding of press protections, beginning with its earliest incarnation, which centered on newspapers, and culminating with its most recent additions, such as citizen journalists and bloggers. Here, Hoover highlights key court cases that affected the extent of press protections, as well as additional types of protected speech, such as parody and advertisements. Though the photos don't always add much to the magazine-like layouts, the informative, clearly written text does a great job of explaining the importance of both the fundamental right to a free press and the function of the press in American democracy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)