What exactly does the “of the press” clause in the 1st Amendment mean? Does it contain within it a separate bundle of rights in addition to those given to individuals or does it simply delimit oral and written speech as two categories of speech that get protection?
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press”
As I was in my mass media class today, the question was raised “why is it OK for the press to publish illegally obtained information about a politition but a politician cannot release illegally aquired info about an equally juicy story involving a reporter–especially if say, a reporter was taking money from a politician’s rival”. While we haven’t yet discussed current court precedent in this area, I still think it is a fascinating question… and If I had to take a position on the matter today, I’d be inclined to say that “the media” (which is nothing more than a business, after all) should not be entitled to any more protection than your average citizen simply because they wear a “press badge”.
If you have a more (or less.. I’m not picky) educated opinion on the matter, feel free to post to the message boards!