Courts protect the press even during national security crises
History
Legal precedents from the 1970s still prevent the government from silting up the flow of information, ensuring that sunlight remains a powerful disinfectant against power abuses.
When the Supreme Court ruled on the Pentagon Papers in 1971, it established a high bar against prior restraint, the legal term for government censorship before publication. Justice Hugo Black famously argued that the press exists to serve the governed, not the governors, acting as a vital watchdog during times of crisis. This precedent remains so robust that modern judges continue to strike down Pentagon policies designed to limit media access.