The First Amendment and the Media in the Court of Public Opinion [Hardcover]

No liberty is more vulnerable to the vagaries of the current political climate than freedom of the press.In light of recent frustrations with the press over its increasingly sensationalistic coverage of the news, no liberty is vulnerable to the vagaries of the current political climate than is freedom of the press. By considering public opinion data from two original surveys (in 197 and 1999) on free press rights against the backdrop of modern First Amendment jurisprudence, we offer new and original insights into the nature of popular support for these rights.In light of recent frustrations with the press over its increasingly sensationalistic coverage of the news, no liberty is vulnerable to the vagaries of the current political climate than is freedom of the press. By considering public opinion data from two original surveys (in 197 and 1999) on free press rights against the backdrop of modern First Amendment jurisprudence, we offer new and original insights into the nature of popular support for these rights.In light of recent frustrations with the press over its increasingly sensationalistic coverage of the news, no liberty is more vulnerable to the vagaries of the current political climate than is freedom of the press. By considering public opinion data from two original surveys (1997 and 1999) on free press rights against the backdrop of modern First Amendment jurisprudence, this study offers new and original insights into the nature of popular support for these rights.1. Freedom of the press and the power of public opinion; 2. Surveying the public on press freedoms; 3. What Americans know about the freedom of the press; 4. Public support for press freedoms; 5. Support for press freedoms across media: comparing print, electronic and the 'new media'; 6. Support for press freedoms within a medium: elite, mainstream and tabloid news sources; 7. Public opinion, the first amendment and the challenges of the 21st century. This book provides important and timell£~