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Cato's Letters
A series of essays that were published the pen name Cato, called out corruption and tyranny in the British Government. The essays were written by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon. -
One the first Libel cases
John Peter Zenger, New York journalist, published critiques of the British governor William Cosby and was arrested for libel charges. Alexander Hamilton defended Zenger and we was acquitted of all charges. -
First Act of Declaration
The Virginia Declaration of Rights formally declares the rights of freedom of the press. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights included the First Amendment including the freedom of press among other rights. -
Truth as the Defense
People v. Croswell leads the state to changing the law to implementing truth being the defense against libel charges. -
A Criminal Libel Law
Utah passes a criminal libel law for journalist to be prosecuted. States followed behind and made it criminal as well. -
New York Times v. Sullivan
The U.S. Supreme Court decides that journalists can't be prosecuted for publishing material about public officials with no malic proven from the New York Times v. Sullivan case. -
New York Times Co. v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled to make it possible for to publish the contents of the Pentagon Papers without risk of further government censorship. -
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court ruled that school sponsored publications do not receive the same protection that First Amendment grants other news papers. -
Technology Now Protected
The Supreme Court rules that bloggers has the same rights as other members of the press in the Obsidian Finance Group, LLC v. Cox. -
The U.S. ranking in the Reporter Freedom
In 2018 the U.S. was ranked 45th on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.
