Rights & liberties
freedom of the press
The right to publish without government licensing or censorship. It protects the act of publishing, not a class of professionals.
In full
The press clause has not been read to give journalists rights beyond those of any speaker, which matters because it means anyone publishing is covered. It bars licensing and prior restraint, sharply limits liability for publishing truthful information about matters of public concern, and interacts with statutory protections such as state shield laws.
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Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.