Freedom to Print or Freedom of the Press?

For over two centuries the freedom of expression has been closely linked with the freedom of the press. The First Amendment to the US Constitution (1791) couples them: ‘Freedom of speech and of the press’. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), after affirming that ‘La libre communication des pensées et des opinions est un des droits les plus précieux de l’homme’ (The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man), adds that ‘Tout citoyen peut donc parler, écrire, imprimer librement’ (Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write and print with freedom).