"The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government."
"In revealing the workings of government that led to the Vietnam War, the newspapers nobly did precisely that which the Founders hoped and trusted they would do."
Source: New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713. Concurring opinion, 1971.
About the author
Hugo Black
Justice
Hugo Black was an influential U.S. Supreme Court Justice known for his strong advocacy of civil liberties and his role in shaping constitutional law.
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More quotes by Hugo Black
"The press was to serve the governed, not the governors."
"The Press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people."
"I was brought up to believe that Scotch whisky would need a tax preference to survive in competition with Kentucky bourbon."
"A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to degrade religion."
"The First Amendment's language leaves no room for inference that abridgments of speech and press can be made just because they are slight. That Amendment provides, in simple words, that "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." I read "no law . . . abridging" to mean no law abridging."