freedom of the press

noun phrase

: the right of newspapers, magazines, etc., to report news without being controlled by the government

Examples of freedom of the press in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many news organizations have continued their aggressive reporting on the administration despite threats to the freedom of the press. —Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026

Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have lambasted Trump over his decision to capture Maduro, despite the dictator’s history of corruption, cruelty, drug trafficking and abuse of freedom of the press, and despite the fact that many local Venezuelans celebrated Maduro’s capture. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026

Local Venezuelans say Maduro and leaders before him ran things in an oppressive way infringing on human rights, freedom of the press and the country’s overall growth. —Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026

By nearly any measure, 2025 has been a rough year for anyone concerned about freedom of the press. —David Bauder, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for freedom of the press

• icbms
• isoflavones
• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress

Legal Definition

freedom of the press

: the right to publish and disseminate information, thoughts, and opinions without restraint or censorship as guaranteed under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Note: The First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of the press are closely intertwined, and many cases relating to freedom of the press are couched in terms of the freedom of speech.