-
Bestowing and denying printers privileges became a major form of government control of the press in England
-
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain required all printed works to be licensed, which means approved in advance by government or church authorities
-
Another form of press restriction in Spain was burning offensive books by the Inquisition
-
Edict of Worms in Germany includes requirement that printers submit to prior censorship
-
All printed works in England must be licensed after this date
-
In France, flogging becomes the first-time penalty for those who circulate defamatory or seditious broadsides or pamphlets. Repeat offenders are subject to the death penalty; press remains tightly controlled in France until French Revolution in 1789
-
John Milton publishes Areopagitica, a pamphlet defending press freedom during the English Civil War
-
Oliver Cromwell restores press controls in England
-
Licensing Act restricts press lapses in England
-
Governor and council of colony of Massachusetts close America’s first newspaper down after its first issue
-
Licensing Act ends permanently after the “Glorious Revolution;” becomes more difficult for authorities to control content of newspapers
-
Stamp tax imposed on newspapers in England
-
Jury finds John Peter Zenger, the publisher of the New-York Weekly Journal, innocent of seditious libel.
-
American press rises in protest against Stamp Act
-
British Parliament institutes series of taxes on goods imported into America, including paper
-
More than 100 people imprisoned for circulating illegal pamphlets in France
-
Because of strict press controls, Paris has only four newspapers
-
President John Adams signs Sedition Act, which makes it a crime to write, print, utter or publish attacks against U.S. government
-
States passing laws limiting the power of judges to hold reporters to contempt of court
-
Circulations of legal newspapers in England continue to be held down by the stamp tax on each copy
-
President Woodrow Wilson leads United States into World War I and hires press agent to support effort; George Creel also serves on censorship board
-
Under the Espionage Act, U.S. government revokes the mailing privileges of many non-mainstream (socialist) newspapers
-
Number of U.S. radio stations skyrockets to 576; “toll” is charged for use of airtime on stations
-
Radio Act establishes a Federal Radio Commission to assign radio frequencies and grant licenses; replaced by Federal Communications Commission in 1934
-
U.S. Supreme Court rules in Near v. Minnesota that prior restraint of the press is allowed under only the most unusual of circumstances
-
TV broadcasting begins in U.S.
-
“Pentagon Papers” released; Supreme Court finally rules that government’s argument for prior restraint of the press is not sufficiently strong in this case
-
Reporters blocked from covering initial stages of U.S. invasion of Caribbean island of Grenada; group of journalists that managed to land on the island were prevented by U.S. military officials from reporting what was happening for two days
-
The guidelines for minimal accounts of non-entertainment programming are aboloshed.
-
"Fairness Doctrine" is eliminated.
-
President Clinton signs the "Telecommunications Act of 1996".
-
This court case ruled that schools have the right to restrict speech freedom of students if the speech is inconsistent with the shared values of society.
-
Congress passed the “Children's Television Act”, which lessened the amount of advertising permitted each hour on children's programs.
-
The FCC lessened regulations to allow companies to own TV and radio stations in the same market.
-
The new Republican Party proposes a rewrite of the 1934 Communications Act.
-
The House approved a spending bill that blocked the FCC decision to allow major television networks to own up to 45% of the country's viewers.
-
The FCC approves the sale of nearly all of the cable systems and assets of Adelphia Communications Corporation to Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corporation.
-
Sung emperors began to censor and suppress non-governmental newssheets before the demise of their dynasty in 1279
