d newspapers appeared in about 1600; they were bedevilled by censorship regulations.
The Declaration of Human Rights (1789) recognized freedom of expression as long as it did not contravene the laws of the land. Yet, today, most governments still exercise censorship of all public media, and few governments (if any) grant full freedom of expression (If not done explicitly by law, subterfuges are resorted to, such as political appointments or presidential veto. As an example, we may examine the role of the United States Government in the matter of the right to abort or for family planning clinics to even mention the existence of abortion options).
Censorship limits freedom of inquiry. The United States Constitution affirms that: "Congress shall make no laws...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press".
A truly democratic government assumes that educated, free individuals possess powers of discrimination, and are to be trusted to determine their own actions. A thoroughly informed electorate guara
...