Guardians of Liberty: Freedom of the Press and the Nature of News

by Linda Barrett Osborne

Overview

This illustrated introduction to the crucial role of First Amendment rights and press freedom “enlightens and entertains readers of any age” (Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post critic).

Guardians of Liberty explores the essential and basic American ideal of freedom of the press. Allowing the American press to publish—even if what they’re reporting is contentious—without previous censure or interference by the federal government, was so important to the Founding Fathers that they placed a guarantee in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Citing numerous examples from America’s past, from the American Revolution to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement to Obama’s and Trump’s presidencies, Linda Barrett Osborne shows how freedom of the press has played an essential role in the growth of this nation, allowing democracy to flourish. She further discusses how the freedoms of press and speech often work side by side, reveals the diversity of American news, and explores why freedom of the press is still imperative to uphold today.

“Nine chapters cover everything from the partisan press in Colonial and Revolutionary America to the incendiary rise of ‘fake news.’ . . . solid research and an engaging structure.” —School Library Journal

“An excellent foray into the hows and whys of U.S. press freedom, beginning just prior to nationhood . . . Timely, essential reading.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Includes endnotes, bibliography, and index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419736896
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/18/2020
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Linda Barrett Osborne is the author of Guardians of Liberty, Traveling the Freedom Road, Miles to Go for Freedom, This Land Is Our Land, and Come On In, America. She was a senior writer-editor in the Library of Congress Publishing Office for 15 years. She lives in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

"Her survey of the seesaw between freedom of the press and government clampdowns, focused on federal law and the Supreme Court, is most passionate about the clear practical advantages of a free news media for democracy’s functioning…The book also touches on illuminating, less-known episodes such as the American press’s skepticism about the government’s party line during the Korean War, and the 1988 Supreme Court decision that continues to withhold First Amendment protections from high school journalists."

New York Times Book Review

"An eloquent and comprehensive history of press freedom. . . a great resource volume as well as a darn good read!

author and winner of a Robert F. Sibert Medal Jen Bryant

A free society cannot function without a free press, and Osborne explains this very effectively in this thorough, comprehensive look at the history of freedom of the press in the U.S. . . a very valuable book.

former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and pre Maxwell King

A masterful history of press freedom in America."

author and winner of a Robert F. Sibert Honor Don Brown

"Deeply researched and beautifully written, Guardians of Liberty enlightens and entertains readers of any age."

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for the Washington P Michael Dirda

" [An] informative, timely resource."

Booklist

"Her survey of the seesaw between freedom of the press and government clampdowns, focused on federal law and the Supreme Court, is most passionate about the clear practical advantages of a free news media for democracy’s functioning…The book also touches on illuminating, less-known episodes such as the American press’s skepticism about the government’s party line during the Korean War, and the 1988 Supreme Court decision that continues to withhold First Amendment protections from high school journalists." —New York Times Book Review

"Deeply researched and beautifully written, Guardians of Liberty enlightens and entertains readers of any age."—Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for the Washington Post

“A free society cannot function without a free press, and Osborne explains this very effectively in this thorough, comprehensive look at the history of freedom of the press in the U.S. . . a very valuable book.”—Maxwell King, former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and president of the Pittsburgh Foundation

"An eloquent and comprehensive history of press freedom. . . a great resource volume as well as a darn good read!”—Jen Bryant, author and winner of a Robert F. Sibert Medal

“A masterful history of press freedom in America."—Don Brown, author and winner of a Robert F. Sibert Honor

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Offers an excellent foray into the hows and whys of U.S. press freedom, beginning just prior to nationhood. . .Timely, essential reading."

—Kirkus Reviews

" [An] informative, timely resource."—Booklist

From the Publisher

09/01/2020

Gr 6 Up—This book seeks to live up to the promise contained in its subtitle—explicating freedom of the press and the nature of news. Nine chapters cover everything from the partisan press in Colonial and Revolutionary America to the incendiary rise of "fake news." In the introduction, Barrett Osborne poses a series of questions: "How does the press act as a watchdog against government abuses? Can freedom of the press exist in time of war without endangering national security? Why does it matter that different points of view are represented?" The text attempts to answer those questions by explaining the history of the press's role in American society as well as key controversies and court cases. Sidebars and highlighted feature segments provide additional information detailing technological advances that revolutionized journalism. Notable individuals and developments in the history of the news are also described. A time line of key events, source notes, and a selected bibliography round out this title. VERDICT A timely title that offers solid research and an engaging structure. Recommended for upper junior high and high school libraries, and students with a nose for news.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX

School Library Journal

★ 2020-06-30
“Knowing the story of why freedom of the press was important to the founding fathers…and how it has stayed a strong principle in American law and culture can help us understand its value today.”

This efficient text (an introduction and nine short chapters, buttressed by a timeline) offers an excellent foray into the hows and whys of U.S. press freedom, beginning just prior to nationhood. The accessible, mostly chronological text is full of short quotations from both primary and secondary sources. It includes excellent definitions, informative sidebars, and archival photographs. The ebb and flow of press freedoms over the course of the country’s history are combined with succinct history of the means of communication, from printing on paper all the way through to today’s social media. Careful scholarship links big questions about balancing transparency and national security to wartime reporting, the Pentagon Papers, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, and more. The text warns about today’s citizens’ reading and listening only to outlets that support their own views and how that endangers democracy. President Donald Trump’s media provocations are discussed along with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the work of Reporters Without Borders. Two cases involving high schoolers’ freedoms are explored. A particularly noteworthy sidebar offers guidance on how readers can determine the accuracy of their news. For optimal use, readers should first have a rudimentary understanding of U.S. civics, which perhaps makes it better suited to middle and high school than elementary readers.

Timely, essential reading. (index, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews