Judge Issues First Prior Restraint Against NY Times in 50 Years

On November 18th, a Supreme Court judge for Westchester County issued a temporary prior restraint against The New York Times brought by Project Veritas, a conservative organization founded by political activist James O’Keefe. The prior restraint arises from a November 11th article in The Times about a Justice Department investigation into Project Veritas’s reporting methods, including its possible involvement in the theft of a diary belonging to President Joe Biden’s daughter.

The Pentagon Papers Case—David Rudenstine on its Meaning a Half Century Later

"The Pentagon Papers case affirms fundamental values and principles. Truth matters— facts matter. The role of the press in the American governing scheme is to serve the 'governed' and not the 'governors.' The protection of a 'cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press' is essential to a vibrant and strong American democracy. That is the profound and enduring meaning of the case," Cardozo Law Professor David Rudenstine writes.

First Amendment Protects ProPublica’s Publication of IRS Documents

There is no question that ProPublica's story on billionaires' income taxes drew a lot of attention. But could they get in trouble for publishing it?

Decades-Long Mystery Behind the Pentagon Papers Finally Revealed

The decades-long mystery of how the late New York Times journalist Neil Sheehan came into possession of the Pentagon Papers in the late 1960s has finally been revealed. On January 7th, the Times published a story detailing the many twists and turns that led to one of the greatest achievements in journalistic history. 

Gene Policinski Commentary: New Assange Charges Raise Two First Amendment Alarms

The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Gene Policinski, originally published this commentary on June 13, 2019, on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint. For […]

Harvard Historian Seeking To Unseal Documents From Probe Into Pentagon Papers Leak

A history professor and writer is asking a federal judge to unseal the records from proceedings in two Boston grand jury probes into the leaks of the Pentagon Papers in […]

Prior Restraint: Strong Protection Against Government Censorship

Prior restraints go at least as far back as 16th century England, when invention of the printing press made it possible to spread dissent and new ideas widely. Such publications […]