Freedom of the Press: New York Times v. United States

This documentary examines the First Amendment’s protection of a free press as well as the historic origins of this right and the ramifications of the landmark ruling in New York Times v. United States , the Pentagon Papers case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prior restraint is unconstitutional. Justice Hugo Black wrote: “Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government . . . ”

Closed captions available in English and Spanish.

Awards & Honors

• Platinum Hermes Creative Award
• Clarion Award
• Award of Excellence - Special Mention from Best Shorts Competition
• Silver Award in Online Film & Educational Video from Davey Awards
• Gold Award from CINDY Awards

Related Resources

• Timeline: First Amendment - Freedom of the Press
• Book: Chapter 7: The Right to Freedom of the Press
• Book: Chapter 15: Freedom of the Press in a Free Society
• Timeline: First Amendment
• Timeline: First Amendment Timeline

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• Annenberg Guide to the Constitution: What It Says, What It Means
• This interactive guide to the U.S. Constitution provides the original text and an explanation of the meaning of each article and amendment. The guide is an excellent research tool for students to use to gain a deeper understanding of one of our nation’s founding documents and the establishment of the federal government.

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• More…

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• AnnenbergPublicPolicyCenter.org
• FactCheck.org
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