Now 260 years later and the freedom of press is up and running but they still have a limit to what the people in the newspaper industry can say. They can't really say something big about someone or about a big thing like in the middle east. Maybe in the future they will actually give some information about the world and as citizens and inhabitants of the planet we have a right to know.
Monday, September 20, 2010
John Peter Zenger
In 1733 John Peter Zenger began publishing a newspaper in New York to voice his opinion over the new policies of the newly appointed governor William Cosby. Many members of the popular party supported John Peter Zenger's article about William Cosby. Cosby had enough of Zenger's article and issued a proclamation blaming the new paper that it was scandalous,virulent, and it had false assumptions. On November 17, 1734 Zenger was arrested and charged with seditious libel. After 8 months in jail Zenger went to trial with his lawyer Andrew Hamilton. Hamilton said that the precedent that a statement even if defamatory, it is not libelous if it can be proved. Then American gave birth to freedom of the press.
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Hey Omar! Good post here.
ReplyDeleteBut what is one specific example of the press being limited? What about the Middle East can the press not talk about?
Whats up omar.
ReplyDeleteGood post,I guess william cosbys choice in gettin Zenger aressted back fired on him. What i wanted to know, Did William cosby resign soon after this or stayed as governer?
Eric - Governor Cosby was so pink-faced mad from this decision that he died in 1736, a year after the Zenger case helped make him look like a fool. :(
ReplyDeleteFreedom of the press was originated by John Peter Zenger, but up to what extent does this law cover for? since you cannot publicize some middle east events, what are these exceptions and why are there exceptions? it just makes for an unruly amendment. is it that the US Government is trying to hide things from us?
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