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Show A FREE PRESS v Your window to the world. NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK, OCTOBER 11-17 1981 The Real Meaning of Press Freedom William C. Marcil Vice Chairman, American Newspaper Publishers Association President and Publisher, The Forum, Fargo, North Dakota National Newspaper Week gives all of us the occasion to reflect upon and to remind ourselves of what press freedom really means Freedom of expression and freedom of the press were considered so important by our Founding Fathers to the basic principles upon which our society should function that theyjocked these guarantees into our Constitution Constitu-tion forever. These freedoms over the years have been the cornerstone corner-stone for all other freedoms we as citizens are pnviledged to have. They are the foundation of the stability of our government they are the ingredients to the survival of our nation. They have paved the way for all other freedoms we cherish among them the freedom to be critical of government, the freedom of scientific inquiry, the freedom to practice and to preserve a diversity ot cultures and the freedom of academics- Yet. while we are mindful of these freedoms, many of us at times take them for granted Freedom of the press is an indispensable part of our democratic process In the final analysis, however, this freedom does not hang on the guarantees of the First Amendment, but rather on the will of all of us to maintain a free and unfettered pres and on our determination as free people to fend off those efforts which would serve to destroy it Society is beit served by a diversity of free media voices |