Enshrined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights are the notions of free speech and a free press. (http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/rightsof/press.htm) It was not happenstance these rights, along with the right to religious liberty, were the first to be enumerated. A person cannot be free if a person cannot access information upon which to base opinions and decisions.
Very few countries in the world offer their citizens the complete and total access to information required by the Constitution in the United States. The freedom of the press ensures Americans can openly exchange and access information. Americans have a duty to seek out information and use that information to make the best decisions possible, especially in relation to election of political representatives.
The internet has opened up pathways the framers of our country could never have imagined. The following websites exemplify the ease of access we now have to news and information:
Americans should appreciate that in many countries, people not only do not have ready access to information, but the mere effort to get information can result in imprisonment and possibly worse. Some interesting reading:
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| Middle East:
On the great firewall of China:
On Africa:
Index on Censorship
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