Book excerpt: "A thoughtful, provocative, and timely account of the meaning of a free press in the United States." -- American Journal of Political Science Most Americans consider a free press essential to democratic society -- -either as an independent watchdog against governmental abuse of power or as a wide-open marketplace of ideas. But few understand that far--reaching public policies have shaped the news citizens receive. With contributions from leading scholars in the fields of history, legal scholarship, political science, and communications, this revised and updated edition of Freeing the Presses offers an in-depth inquiry into the theory and practice of journalistic freedom. In addition to a new foreword by Regina G. Lawrence and afterword by Laura Stein, Freeing the Presses presents fresh and timely analyses of the complexities of news media and politics.