University of Virginia Library

Always At Odds

The government and the
press have always been at odds
with each other. The
government has constantly
been wary of the uncontrolled
"fourth estate" and its
criticisms of federal policy.

Even Thomas Jefferson –
the so-called 'father of the free
press' blasted it. As President
he charged, "The artillery of
the press has been leveled
against us... The abuses of an
institution so important to

freedom...are deeply to be
regretted, in as much as they
tend to lessen its usefulness,
and to sap its safety."

But the current battle
between the government and
the media has reached
unparalleled proportions and,
according to some observers,
threatens to leave a permanent
scar on the basically
unrestricted freedom of the
press.

Many believe that the crisis
will have far reaching effects
because the present
administration is employing
the law in its attacks. Never
before the Pentagon Papers
case had a major newspaper
been enjoined from
publication. The trial of one
time RAND researcher Daniel
Ellsberg, who stole the
documents in the first place, is
still in progress.