1. The American Press and the Government during War

2. The Alien and Sedition Acts Prompted by a conflict with France’s navy after the French revolution Made it illegal to criticize the federal government Signed by John Adams Lasted from 1798-1801

3. the Civil War Abraham Lincoln closed over 300 opposition newspapers He also censored dispatches sent by telegraph

4. World War I Woodrow Wilson signs both the Espionage and the Sedition Acts Makes it illegal to print, write or even speak anything disloyal to the government of America

5. HUAC and WW II Just prior to World War II in 1938, the Congress forms a special committee to investigate anyone who is disloyal to America in the House of Representatives This is called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) They investigate people suspected of being radicals or socialists – even going after the Boy Scouts and Shirley Temple

6. Korea Conflict: the 1950s Joe McCarthy and the Red Scare Senator uses his power on the HUAC to create paranoia about communists He even goes after the army angering President Eisenhower a former general Eventually Edward Murrow defuses is power on television

7. Vietnam: the 1960s Television coverage of the war is unprecedented Many blame the images and commentary for turning public opinion against the war Especially after Walter Cronkite says on the CBS news that he feels the war is not winnable

8. First Gulf War: 1991 Coalition forces invade Kuwait to repel Saddam Hussein’s takeover The Press are only allowed to visit the command base and go in large groups to battle sites while supervised by the military The military contact is reserved almost entirely to Press conferences held by top military leaders

9. In the wake of 9-11 President Bush signs the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act which increase the government’s ability to investigate suspected citizens without warrants and without disclosure Polls show that Most Americans are willing to give up some freedoms for a greater sense of security

10. The Digital Age Wikileaks begins to post secret and sensitive documents online gaining wide exposure in 2010 Several countries have indicted Julian Assange for stealing government documents Edward Snowden, former CIA employee, leaks sensitive National security documents to the press which reveal the massive scope of surveillance done under the Homeland Security Act Currently he has been granted asylum by Russia to avoid prosecution in America