Response 2: Newspapers

          The lesson about the first newspapers surprised me. For one, I was surprised by how old newspapers are. I would have expected them to be a much more recent invention. However, the thing that I found to be the most surprising had nothing to do with the dates or locations, but rather with its effects. I'm speaking particularly about the precedent set by John Peter Zenger. He used the newspapers to help further the idea of freedom of press. The trial over his articles eventually led to the decision that one should not be punished for writing the truth. (Truth is the ultimate defense against libel.) 

          The thing that interested me about this, is the fact that this is not true internationally. It was explained that in other countries, you could be jailed for criticizing authority. It made me appreciate my freedom of speech and freedom in general much more. It also gave me a look at the importance of newspapers that was easier to understand. Newspapers had always just seemed like the thing my grandpa read every morning while he drank his coffee on the front porch and not much more, but they now seem to hold more worth because the earliest newspspers helped Americans establish their freedom in ways that some other countries have still been unable to do.