Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for a New Century (Inalienable Rights)

Description

The First Amendment to the U.S Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech or of the press." The words are simple and the Constitution does not elaborate further on them. So, it has been up to the Supreme Court (whose first adjudication of a case relating to this question was not until 1919) to define the practical and theoretical applications of this freedom. In 1976, Justice Stewart ruled and reasoned this way in 1976: "The Free Press guarantee is...a structural provision of the constitution...and the primary purpose of this guarantee is to create a fourth institution outside government as an additional check on the three official branches." This ruling established wide latitude for the press and has ensured freedom of information vital to our democratic society.

Bollinger summarizes legal decisions like this one and gives examples of the ways we as a people have benefited from our free press. His purpose is to explore and recommend how the American press is to function as a check on government in our current era of globalization and how the American ideal of freedom through information be practically applied in an environment of internet based media. The questions are compelling and Bollinger's answers concise and definitive.

Bollinger is the President of Columbia University, well known for his writing on the First Amendment. Not surprisingly then, he offers a nine point plan that includes how journalism should be taught, how public leaders should form and prioritize this issue, and how the US government can leverage policies, like trade agreements, to secure access for the press world wide. This book is so clearly written that even more complex legal arguments are assessable. We would be wise to place this short book (it is under 200 pages) on the required reading lists for most college undergraduates and for anyone who has hopes for the American future, as these hopes may hinge on the protection of the fourth institution.

Reviewed by Marcia Jo