Defining and Discussing Freedom of the Press

Recent events have shone a bright spotlight on the news media, including “fake news,” internet trolls, and attacks on journalists. This book describes the history of the right to freedom of the press, how the constitution protects reporters, and what happens in places where the press is not free. The Shaping the Debate series is designed to help readers in grades 5-9 understand social issues from multiple viewpoints and to articulate their own opinions. Each book in this series explains the title issue and how it affects people and policy; introduces people and movements involved in bringing awareness to the issue; highlights applicable major U.S. laws, judicial decisions, and progressive to moderate to conservative viewpoints; and touches on global implications of activism, awareness, and policy change

Recent events have shone a bright spotlight on the news media, including “fake news,” internet trolls, and attacks on journalists. This book describes the history of the right to freedom of the press, how the constitution protects reporters, and what happens in places where the press is not free.

With attention-grabbing introductions and striking photographs, this series gives readers plenty of information to understand both sides of major debates. Covering facts, court cases, laws, opinions, important milestones, and larger political contexts, the books make the impact of these issue clear. While primarily focused on the United States, each volume does offer a look at more global views. The ­layout and design of these books really make them stand out, with formats that vary from page to page. Information is presented in a variety of ways—detailed captions, graphs, maps, charts, statistics, illustrations—and traditional blocks of text rarely run more than half a page, making this series accessible to readers who may struggle to get through so much information. VERDICT An exceptional and effective series. - SLJ Fall 2019

“Fake news,” famous cable news personalities, internet trolls, and attacks on journalists—recent events have shone a bright spotlight on the news media. The United States Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, which the founders considered a cornerstone of democracy. This book describes the history of this important right, how the constitution protects reporters, and what happens in places where the press is not free.