144 Freedom Of The Press Quotes

Following is our list of freedom of the press quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about press freedom.

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Famous Freedom Of The Press Quotes

The freedom of the press should be inviolate. — John Quincy Adams

The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic governments. — George Mason

Absolute freedom of the press to discuss public questions is a foundation stone of American liberty. — Herbert Hoover

The only security of all is in a free press. — Thomas Jefferson

The freedom of the press works in such a way that there is not much freedom from it. — Grace Kelly

Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one. — A. J. Liebling

A free press stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people. To allow it to be fettered is to fetter ourselves. — George Sutherland

The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable. — James Madison

Without freedom of the press, there can be no representative government. — Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press — Mark Twain

Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly are among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them would be nullified should freedom of the press ever be successfully challenged. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad. — Albert Camus

Freedom of the press is perhaps the freedom that has suffered the most from the gradual degradation of the idea of liberty. — Albert Camus

Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. — Thomas Jefferson

Freedom of the Press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose — George Orwell

Short Freedom Of The Press Quotes

  • Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy. — Walter Cronkite
  • Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe. — Thomas Jefferson
  • The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. — Hugo Black
  • Our republic and its press will rise and fall together. — Joseph Pulitzer
Freedom of the press quote Fools take the knife and stab people in the back. The wise take a knife, cut the cord and free thems
Fools take the knife and stab people in the back. The wise take a knife, cut the cord and free themselves from the fools.

Press Freedom Quotes

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. — Benjamin Franklin

Without general elections, without freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, without the free battle of opinions, life in every public institution withers away, becomes a caricature of itself, and bureaucracy rises as the only deciding factor. — Rosa Luxemburg

The Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms. — Samuel Adams

Freedom of the press quote Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.
Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.

Freedom of the press is not questioned when investigative journalism unearths scandals, But that does not mean that every classified state document should be made available to journalists. — Otto Schily

Freedom of the press is essential to the preservation of a democracy; but there is a difference between freedom and license. Editorialists who tell downright lies in order to advance their own agendas do more to discredit the press than all the censors in the world. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of person under protection of habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected, these principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. — Thomas Jefferson

Freedom of the press quote Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to annihilating the Jewish state. It runs a theocratic totalitarian state in Gaza, with no individual liberty, and no freedom of speech or press. — Dennis Prager

Those who suppress freedom always do so in the name of law and order. — John Lindsay

Civilization is not about more capital accumulation per se; rather, it is about what capital accumulation allows humans to achieve, the flourishing and freedom to seek higher meaning in life when their base needs are met and most pressing dangers averted. — Saifedean Ammous

I get a little nauseated, perhaps, when I hear the phrase 'freedom of the press' used as freely as it is, knowing that a large part of our proprietorial press is not free at all. — Harold Wilson

Freedom Of Expression Quotes

A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself -- to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart — Leo Buscaglia

Free expression is the base of human rights, the root of human nature and the mother of truth. To kill free speech is to insult human rights, to stifle human nature and to suppress truth. — Liu Xiaobo

We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. The third is freedom from want. The fourth is freedom from fear. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Freedom of the press quote One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.
One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. — Noam Chomsky

Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people's desires. — Anjem Choudary

If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence. — Louis D. Brandeis

Freedom of the press quote A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.
A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.

Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players... they should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure. — Arsene Wenger

I certainly was one of the instigators in the 1960s of freedom of expression. - Sally Kirkland

I certainly was one of the instigators in the 1960s of freedom of expression. — Sally Kirkland

A person who doesn't breathe deeply reduces the life of his body. If he doesn't move freely, he restricts the life of his body. If he doesn't feel fully, he narrows the life of his body. And if his self-expression is constricted, he limits the life of his body. — Alexander Lowen

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. — Salman Rushdie

Freedom Of Speech Quotes

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. — Soren Kierkegaard

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech - Idi Amin

There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech — Idi Amin

Freedom of the press quote I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.

We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech and earnestness in action. — Sarojini Naidu

Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear. — St. Catherine of Siena

I had a right to my own political opinions. I am a Southern woman, born with Revolutionary blood in my veins. Freedom of speech and of thought were my birthright, guaranteed, signed and sealed by the blood of our fathers. — Rose O'Neal Greenhow

Freedom of the press quote Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Silence is golden but when it threatens your freedom it's yellow. — Edmund Burke

I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking. — Woodrow Wilson

When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril. — Harry S. Truman

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal. — Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Freedom Of Speech And Expression Quotes

If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. — William J. Brennan

There's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth. — J. K. Rowling

Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth. — Liu Xiaobo

Freedom of the press quote WIth freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy.
WIth freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy.

It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. — Abe Fortas

Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his opinion, over-reaching political correctness is chipping away at the fundamental American freedoms of speech and expression. — Eric Cantor

A bunch of bong-smoking, America-bashing, flag-burning, yoga-posing, incense-burning, dolphin-saving, salmon-eating hypocrites. These are the sensitive, liberal people who are always yelling about people's freedom of speech and expression, unless you happen to say something that pisses them off. — Richard Jeni

Freedom of the press quote Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.

In order for the State in the person of school officials to justify prohibition of a particular expression of opinion, it must be able to show that its action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint. — Abe Fortas

I'm a big advocate of freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of thought. — Jimmy Wales

Freedom of expression is actually a way for people to know themselves better, and to understand themselves better. Because without it, you become a stranger to yourself. — Lucien Bourjeily

There is a time and a place for creativity. — William Redington Hewlett

Liberty Of Speech Quotes

The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people. - Louis D. Brandeis

The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people. — Louis D. Brandeis

Just as the strength of the Internet is chaos, so the strength of our liberty depends upon the chaos and cacophony of the unfettered speech the First Amendment protects. — Stewart Dalzell

Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us. — William O. Douglas

Freedom of the press quote Forgiveness is just another name for freedom.
Forgiveness is just another name for freedom.

Manchester is a city which has witnessed a great many stirring episodes, especially of a political character. Generally speaking, its citizens have been liberal in their sentiments, defenders of free speech and liberty of opinion. — Emmeline Pankhurst

The American constitutions were to liberty, what a grammar is to language: they define its parts of speech, and practically construct them into syntax — Thomas Paine

If our hard-earned liberty, our desire to be irreverent of the old and to question the new, can be reduced to one, basic, and indispensable right, it must be the right to free speech. — Maajid Nawaz

Freedom of the press quote I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.
I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.

Freedom of thought and freedom of speech in our great institutions are absolutely necessary for the preservation of our country. The moment either is restricted, liberty begins to wither and die. — John Peter Altgeld

Freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have, or the views they express, or the words they speak or write. — Hugo Black

When a legislature undertakes to proscribe the exercise of a citizen's constitutional right to free speech, it acts lawlessly; and the citizen can take matters into his own hands and proceed on the basis that such a law is no law at all. — William O. Douglas

The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

First Amendment Rights Quotes

The civil rights of none, shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed. — James Madison

I'm tired of being considered some kind of criminal or dangerous throwback for no other reason than that I value, exercise, and defend my rights under the first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution. — L. Neil Smith

An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment. — Hugo Black

Freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order. — Robert H. Jackson

Without either the first or second amendment, we would have no liberty; the first allows us to find out what's happening, the second allows us to do something about it! The second will be taken away first, followed by the first and then the rest of our freedoms. — Unknown Author

The Washington Times wrote a story questioning the authenticity of some of the suggestions made about me in Silent Coup. But as a believer in the First Amendment, I believe they have more than a right to air their views. — Bob Woodward

Just as the First and Fourth Amendment secure individual rights of speech and security respectively, the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. This view of the text comports with the all but unanimous understanding of the Founding Fathers. — John Ashcroft

First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its laws for that impermissible end. The right to think is the beginning of freedom, and speech must be protected from the government because speech is the beginning of thought. — Anthony Kennedy

A lot of people in the adult population have a very limited idea as to why they are Americans, why we have a First Amendment or a Bill of Rights. — Nat Hentoff

It just seems to be a human trait to want to protect the speech of people with whom we agree. For the First Amendment, that is not good enough. So it is really important that we protect First Amendment rights of people no matter what side of the line they are on. — Floyd Abrams

Free Speech Quotes

Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage. — Winston Churchill

We live in a country that talks about being the home of the brave and the land of the free, and we have the highest incarceration rate in the world. — Bryan Stevenson

I believe America went wrong in terms of respecting the First Amendment, the state of free speech on American college campuses and on the media and in academia. — Milo Yiannopoulos

Americans' right to free speech should not be proportionate to their bank accounts. — Bernie Sanders

Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech. — Noam Chomsky

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. — Evelyn Beatrice Hall

It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. - Louis D. Brandeis

It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. — Louis D. Brandeis

Elon Musk acquiring Twitter is a big win for free speech. — Lex Fridman

Free speech is not just a right, but a necessary component of a healthy society. — Bret Weinstein

All I care about is free speech and free expression; I want people to be able to be, do, and say anything. — Milo Yiannopoulos

First Amendment Quotes

The First Amendment has the same role in my life as a citizen and a writer as the sun has in our ecosystem. — Michael Chabon

No one understands that the First Amendment is only important if you are going to offend somebody. If you're not going to offend somebody, you don't need protection of the First Amendment. — Larry Flynt

For an American to be patriotic is to be loyal to the principles of our Constitution, and the First Amendment. The truth is that the policies of the government is sometimes in conflict with that. In our country, patriotism should not be defined as obedience to an authority. — Daniel Ellsberg

The First Amendment is not an altar on which we must sacrifice our children, families, and community standards. Obscene material that is not protected by the First Amendment can and must be prohibited. — Orrin Hatch

After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run. — Hank Williams, Jr.

The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity; but ... to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government. — Joseph Story

I don't want to be shut out from the truth. If they ban books, they might as well lock us away from the world. — Rory Edwards

You know why there's a Second Amendment? In case the government fails to follow the first one. — Rush Limbaugh

Whatever one's religion in his private life may be, for the officeholder, nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution and all its parts - including the First Amendment and the strict separation of church and state. — John F. Kennedy

Any time someone carries a picket sign in front of the White House, that is the First Amendment in action — Julian Bond

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More Freedom Of The Press Quotes

The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. — Hugo Black

The Press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people. — Hugo Black

The First Amendment's language leaves no room for inference that abridgments of speech and press can be made just because they are slight. That Amendment provides, in simple words, that "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." I read "no law . . . abridging" to mean no law abridging. — Hugo Black

If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, Maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. ... But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whenever there is injustice, there is tension. But in China it is very hard to release your anger unless you burn yourself or you jump from a bridge. In a society where there is no freedom of the press, it is difficult for victims to be noticed. — Ai Weiwei

Freedom of the press, freedom of association, the inviolability of domicile, and all the rest of the rights of man are respected so long as no one tries to use them against the privileged class. On the day they are launched against the privileged they are overthrown. — Peter Kropotkin

As unbalanced parties of every description can never tolerate a free inquiry of any kind, when employed against themselves, the license, and even the most temperate freedom of the press, soon excite resentment and revenge. — John Adams

But now, I, August Comte, have discovered the truth. Therefore, there is no longer any need for freedom of thought or freedom of the press. I want to rule and to organize the whole country. — Auguste Comte

The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy. One's right to life, liberty and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly may not be submitted to vote; they depend on no elections. — Robert H. Jackson

When the nazis came to power, I looked to the universities that prided themselves upon their intellectual freedom, and they failed me. I looked to the German press, which prided itself on the freedom of the press, and it failed me. Until at last the churches stood alone, and that for which I once had little regard earned my respect. — Albert Einstein

I am... for freedom of the press, and against all violations of the Constitution to silence by force and not by reason the complaints or criticisms, just or unjust, of our citizens against the conduct of their agents. — Thomas Jefferson

There is an attempt to tarnish Turkey by using press freedom when it is in fact measures taken against terrorism, i dispute this. Nowhere in Europe or in other countries is there a media that is as free as the press in Turkey. — Recep Tayyip Erdogan

The price of freedom of religion or of speech or of the press is that we must put up with, and even pay for, a good deal of rubbish. — Robert H. Jackson

By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases, no suspensions of the habeas corpus, no standing armies. These are fetters against doing evil which no honest government should decline. — Thomas Jefferson

Wherever despotism abounds, the sources of public information are the first to be brought under its control. Where ever the cause of liberty is making its way, one of its highest accomplishments is the guarantee of the freedom of the press. — Calvin Coolidge

Freedom of the press is the mortar that binds together the bricks of democracy -- and it is also the open window embedded in those bricks. — Shashi Tharoor

Freedom of press is limited to those who own one. — H. L. Mencken

Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one. — A. J. Liebling

A man of distinguished, beautiful eloquence, and persistent, over pressing thought... Ameen Rihani was one of the foremost pioneers of modern illumination. He firmly believed in the significance of reviving the Arab spirit and protecting the freedom of thought and the freedom of human conscience. — Mikhail Naimy

The free press is the mother of all our liberties and of our progress under liberty. — Adlai E. Stevenson

Freedom of press and freedom of speech: What a blessing for a country while in the hands of honest, patriotic men; what a curse if in the hands of designing demagogues. — William J. H. Boetcker

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