Free marketplace of ideas

David Villecco
September 24, 2012

Consider all you read about the concept of the Free Marketplace of Ideas, including the quotes by Thomas Jefferson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and John Milton. Imagine a current situation – it can be political, global, personal, etc. – that involves some version of the conflict between free speech and censorship, and put the Free Marketplace of Ideas to the test.

One situation that I can think of is political. It involves the President and Vice President, but this could go with all of the other members as well.
What if a news reporter, through a line of people, finds out that the President of the United States is having an affair with the Vice President or another staff member. And the reporter wants to share this news with the world. And he has that ability, being a news reporter.
He writes an unbelievable article about this. But there just so happends to be a censorship law that says the government must pass all forms of articles before they are sent to the press. And his is rejected because the government doesn't want this being exposed.
The news reporter has the freedom of speech. But the government has the freedom to decide what is passed to the press.
Who is right.