The Constitution was drafted, debated, and approved at the Constitutional Convention without any delineation of individual rights and freedoms. Because…it was believed by many…that such declarations were unnecessary. Since any power and authority of government was explicitly described. Thus the limits of government’s power would be clear.
However, (pardon the simplicity) enough argued they would not support the Constitution for ratification if it did not explicitly delineate individual rights, freedoms, and liberties. In order to ensure those rights 50 years…100 years…200+ years in to the future. When some would revert to the concept that rights and freedoms were actually privileges bestowed by a benevolent King and Parliament….President and Congress….by a tolerant majority.
Thus the Bill of Rights were written and passed as additions to the Constitution.
Why is Freedom of the Press one of the freedoms/rights explicitly declared in the first amendment to the Constitution? What purpose does “The Press” serve?
Simply put: to be a watchdog for the people on the government. To always…consistently…unceasingly question and challenge government, i.e. elected officials, appointed officials…hired bureaucrats who actually work for the government.
In the modern context “The Press” would more clearly be stated as “The Media”, since it would include tv/radio/internet based press. The question remains: What purpose does “The Press” serve in 2021 when President Biden has not held a press conference…has not taken questions from the press, since he took office? Already President Biden has exceeded any president in the last 100 years in not being available to the press for questions.
How can the press question and challenge government when the head of government is not available for questions?
What does it say about “The Media” when members of the media such as CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS, ABC, NBC, et. al., do not raise this point? When “The Media” accept President Biden’s unavailability? When “The Media” instead cover the animal pets in the White House?
What does it mean when the watchdog for the people…guaranteed its place and rights…fails to do its job? What does it mean for the United States of America when the government is not answerable to the people?
And do we want our government not to be answerable to the people?
Son of Liberty 2020
amliberty2020@gmail.com