Steven Spielberg's The Post is a timely reminder of the constitutional importance of a free press
Emma Long, University of East Anglia The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government Justice Hugo Black, New York Times v. US (1971). Steven Spielberg’s new film, The Post , which explores the events that led up to New York Times v. US, echoes Black’s sentiment. The film tells the little known story of how the Washington Post came to be the second newspaper after the New York Times to publish extracts of the so-called “ Pentagon Papers ”. The case helped to expose the lies and half-truths told to the American people about the Vietnam War by their own government and standing up to the bullying of the Nixon administration in the process. The film addresses many themes, including sexism in the workplace, industry competition, journalistic integrity and the problems of an industry facing increasing financial pressures. But at heart ...