"Free press doctrine lionized the press as the prime defender of public liberty in its role as a bulwark against governmental tyranny. Open press doctrine, on the other hand, stressed the individual right of every man to air his sentiments for all to consider, regardless of his political perspective or the consequences for the people's liberty." (p. 3). [paragraph 1 of the link below]

“…a free press acts as a check against government excess…” [5^th par. Ibid.]

ISSN 1062-7421

Vol. 12 No. 2 (February 2002) pp. 79-83.

THE FOUNDING OF AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC PRESS LIBERTY, 1640-1800 by Robert W. T. Martin. New York: New York University Press, 2001. 238 pp. Cloth $40.00. ISBN: 0-8147-5655-7

Reviewed by Rick A. Swanson, Department of Political Science, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/martinrowt.htm

Editorial Note: Emphasis added above -in underlined bold-face for clarity.

--Editor, Gordon Wayne Watts, citing this review on the UMD website: