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The First Amendment

Contemporary Documents

Major Supreme Court Cases

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of freedom of the press cases. It is intended only as a brief guide to some of the most significant decisions.

Near v. Minnesota, 283 U.S. 697 (1931)

Grosjean v. American Press Co., 297 U.S. 233 (1936)

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964)

New York Times Co. v. U.S., 403 U.S. 713 (1971)

Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665 (1972)

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974)

First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765 (1978)

Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co., 443 U.S. 97 (1979)

Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia, 448 U.S. 555 (1980)

Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46 (1988)

Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of New York State Crime Victims Board, 502 U.S. 105 (1991)

Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., 501 U.S. 663 (1992)

Bartnicki v. Vopper, 532 U.S. 514 (2001)

Other Resources

Online Resources

Freedom of the Press Research Articles and Overview, First Amendment Center

The First Amendment Handbook, 7th ed., Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Legal Guides, Student Press Law Center

The Pentagon Papers: 25 Years Later, CSPAN Video

Books

This is a small sampling of the library's holdings on freedom of the press. To find more books and ebooks, just search the library catalog using the subject term "freedom of the press United States", or ask a reference librarian for help.

Coyle, Erin K., The press and rights to privacy: First Amendment freedoms vs. invasion of privacy claims, LFB Scholarly Pub. (2012)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF4774 .C69 2012

Epps, Garrett, The First Amendment: freedom of the press: its constitutional history and the contemporary debate, Prometheus Books (2008)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF4774 .F57 2008

Forde, Kathy Roberts, Literary journalism on trial: Masson v. New Yorker and the First Amendment, University of Massachusetts Press (2008)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF228 .M3747 F67 2008

Friendly, Fred W., Minnesota rag: corruption, yellow journalism, and the case that saved freedom of the press, University of Minnesota Press (2003)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF228 .N35 F75 2003

Goodale, James C., Fighting for the press: the inside story of the Pentagon Papers and other battles, CUNY Journalism Press (2013)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF224 .N39 G66 2013

Hall, Kermit L., New York Times v. Sullivan: civil rights, libel law, and the free press, University Press of Kansas (2011)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF228 .N4 H34 2011

Hoffer, Peter Charles, The free press crisis of 1800: Thomas Cooper's trial for seditious libel, University Press of Kansas (2011)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF223 .C653 H63 2011

Levine, Lee, The progeny: Justice William J. Brennan's fight to preserve the legacy of New York Times v. Sullivan, American Bar Association (2014)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF8745 .B68 L49 2014

Levy, Leonard W., Emergence of a free press, Ivan R. Dee (2004)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF4774 .L48 2004

Lewis, Anthony, Make no law: the Sullivan case and the First Amendment, Vintage Books (1992)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF1266 .L49 1992

Lidsky, Lyrissa Barnett, Freedom of the press: a reference guide to the United States Constitution, Praeger (2004)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF4774 .L53 2004

Martin, Robert W.T., The free and open press: the founding of American democratic press liberty, 1640-1800, New York University Press (2001)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number PN4738 .M37 2001

Mathewson, Joe, The Supreme Court and the press: the indispensable conflict, Northwestern University Press (2011)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF4772 .M38 2011

Pracene, Ulan C., Journalists, shield laws, and the First Amendment: is the fourth estate under attack?, Novinka Books (2005)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF8959 .P7 J69 2005

Scherer, Mark R., Rights in the balance: free press, fair trial, and Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart, Texas Tech University Press (2008)

  • Available in the Dee J. Kelly Law Library at call number KF9223.5 .S34 2008