Which case addressed government prior restraint and freedom of the press?

• A. Schenck v. United States
• B. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
• C. New York Times Co. v. United States
• D. Texas v. Johnson

Answer: (C)

The main idea is government cannot silence the press before it publishes, a protection called freedom of the press. New York Times Co. v. United States addresses this directly by examining attempts to stop the New York Times and the Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers. The Supreme Court said the government bears a heavy burden to justify prior restraint, and it must show that publication would cause an immediate and irreparable harm to national security. Since the evidence didn’t meet that strict standard, the prior restraint was struck down. This decision solidified a strong presumption against government censorship before publication and reinforced the press’s crucial watchdog role.

Schenck v. United States focuses on limiting speech that creates a clear and present danger, not on preventing publication itself. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier involves censorship in a school setting, a more narrow context than national press freedom. Texas v. Johnson protects expressive conduct, not the issue of prior restraint on the press.