The First Amendment and the Media in the Court of Public Opinion

by David A. Yalof, Kenneth Dautrich

Overview

In light of recent frustrations with the press over its increasingly sensationalistic coverage of the news, no liberty is more vulnerable to the vagaries of the current political climate than is "freedom of the press." By considering public opinion data from two original surveys (1997 and 1999) on free press rights against the backdrop of modern First Amendment jurisprudence, this study offers new and original insights into the nature of popular support for these rights.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521804660
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/28/2002
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.37(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

1. Freedom of the press and the power of public opinion; 2. Surveying the public on press freedoms; 3. What Americans know about the freedom of the press; 4. Public support for press freedoms; 5. Support for press freedoms across media: comparing print, electronic and the 'new media'; 6. Support for press freedoms within a medium: elite, mainstream and tabloid news sources; 7. Public opinion, the first amendment and the challenges of the 21st century.

Editorial Reviews

"This book provides important and timely data on a subject vital to the public opinion and the First Amendment." The Law and Politics Book Review

"Using two large random surveys conducted in 1997 and 1999 with the support of the Freedom Foundation, Yalof and Dautrich explore the attitudes of the general public toward freedom of expression in general and its specific application to the press and other information media....[T]he authors do an excellent job of presenting a theoretical background and context for their findings....Most useful for graduate, research, and professional collections." Choice

"The authors' concern with the approaches that government should and should not develop toward political information takes on unusual importance today...Yalof and Dautrich's intriguing findings provide a valuable step in starting to bring the public into that discussion." Perspectives on Politics

"the authors' work highlights some fascinating data and noteworthy conclusions. Particularly interesting is their analysis of public support for press freedoms across different media." - Bruce W. Sanford

From the Publisher