The ACLU advocates for the principle that free expression for ourselves requires free expression for others. Once you allow the government to censor one person, it has the power to censor you or something you like. The answer is simple and timeless: A free society is based on an individual’s right to decide what art they want-or do not want-to see. Why oppose censorship when scenes of murder dominate video entertainment, when works of art can directly insult peoples’ religious beliefs, and when pornography abounds on the Internet? Why not let the majority’s morality and taste dictate what others can look at or listen to?
Provocative and controversial art and in-your-face entertainment frequently test our commitment to this belief. Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment’s protection of speech to extend well beyond speeches and books to virtually anything that the human creative impulse can produce. The First Amendment embodies the belief that in a free and democratic society, individual adults must be free to decide for themselves what to read, write, paint, draw, compose, see, and hear. When press freedom is harmed, it is much harder to hold our government accountable when it missteps or overreaches.Ĭheck out our recent case involving freedom of the press here.
The ACLU has played a central role in defending the freedom of the press, from our role in the landmark Pentagon Papers case to our defense of whistleblower Edward Snowden and our advocacy for a new media shield law. And in the face of a growing surveillance apparatus, journalists must go to new lengths to protect sources and, by extension, the public’s right to know. Whistleblowers face prosecution under the World War One-era Espionage Act for leaks to the press in the public interest. The government has launched an unprecedented crackdown on whistleblowers, targeting journalists in order to find their sources. The rise of the national security state and the proliferation of new surveillance technologies have created new challenges to media freedom. It is also a vibrant marketplace of ideas, a vehicle for ordinary citizens to express themselves and gain exposure to a wide range of information and opinions. A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing. The freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is critical to a democracy in which the government is accountable to the people. Check out our most recent case regarding protesting here.
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