A Big Win for Press Freedom

November 17, 2009

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Profile America — Tuesday, November 17th. The beginning of what Americans now take for granted — freedom of the press — started on this date in 1734, with the arrest of John Peter Zenger, a German immigrant who published the New York Weekly Journal. One of his articles resulted in a charge of libel against the colonial governor. During his months in jail, Zenger continued to edit his paper from his cell. His acquittal is regarded as an important first step toward freedom of the press. Now, that right is practiced every day by a huge nationwide media complex, made up of 1,400 daily newspapers, 25,000 magazines, 11,000 radio stations, 1,700 television stations and over 7,000 cable systems. Profile America is in its 13th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 552
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1090, 1093, 1096
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html