Many governments have taken control of the press to use it in their own interests. Most publishers and writers, on the other hand, fight for as much freedom as possible. Democratic constitutions grant freedom of the press to encourage the exchange of ideas and to check the power of the government. Citizens of democracies need information to help them decide whether to support the policies of their national and local governments. In a democracy, freedom of the press applies not only to political and social issues but also to business, cultural, religious, and scientific matters.
Most democratic governments limit freedom of the press in three major types of cases.
In such cases, these governments believe that press freedom could endanger individuals, national security, or social morality. Dictatorships do not allow freedom of the press. In the United States, freedom of the press is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. All state constitutions also include protection for press freedom. Court decisions help make clear both the extent and the limits of this freedom.