freedom of the press
Definition
The fundamental principle that the right to publish and disseminate information—in print, electronic, or digital formats—should be exercised without government censorship, intimidation, or reprisal.
A cornerstone of democratic society that serves as a watchdog to ensure state transparency, though frequently tested by media consolidation, corporate ownership, and surveillance tactics.
Examples
Truly, nothing says 'freedom of the press' like federal prosecutors deciding that a journalist's home office is the perfect place to conduct an impromptu, government-sponsored furniture inspection.
It is remarkably brave of corporate media empires to loudly champion the freedom of the press while simultaneously ensuring that their editorial staff's primary goal is to avoid upsetting the hand that feeds them.
Modern media consolidation is simply an advanced efficiency hack for democracy, proving that we don't need a hundred different voices when we can have one billionaire curate the truth for everyone.