Rights vs. Responsibilities

Download or read book Rights vs. Responsibilities written by Elizabeth B. Hindman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1997-05-28 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past 65 years, the United States Supreme Court has outlined, through its decisions, its conceptions of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. media. Analyzing every Supreme Court media case from 1931 to 1996, this book explores the changes in how the Court has conceived of the media's freedom. Hindman focuses on the educational and political functions of the media, the ethical principles of truth telling, and the conflict between collectivist and individualist interpretations of the First Amendment. The author challenges accepted views in the field, arguing that despite the justices' rhetoric, the Court has treated media freedom as a social goal rather than a right.