More than Mere “Constitutional Window Dressing”: Why the Press Clause Should Protect a Limited Right to Gather Information

Authors

Mallory B. Rechtenbach, University of Nebraska College of Law

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Background ... A. Purpose and Role of the First Amendment ... B. The Court’s Expansion of the First Amendment ... 1. The Developing Interpretation of Prior Restraints ... 2. The Expanded View of “Speech” ... C. Current Interpretation of the Right to Gather Information ... 1. The Supreme Court’s Principles in Access and Newsgathering Cases ... 2. The Statutory Right to Gather Information

III. Analysis ... A. The First Amendment’s Scope Should Be Interpreted Broadly and Include Protection of Corollary Rights ... B. Argument for a Limited Right to Gather Information Under the First Amendment ... 1. Restrictions on Newsgathering as a Form of Prior Restraint … 2. The First Amendment Creates Protection for Newsgathering That Is Directly Tied to Expression ... 3. The Structural Model of the First Amendment Requires Protection for Newsgathering in Order to Foster Intelligent Self-Government ... C. Why the FOIA is Not Sufficient to Protect the Free Flow of Information

IV. Conclusion

Recommended Citation

Mallory B. Rechtenbach, More than Mere “Constitutional Window Dressing”: Why the Press Clause Should Protect a Limited Right to Gather Information, 98 Neb. L. Rev. 188 (2019)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol98/iss1/6