It should come as no surprise that the Internet has radically altered the way journalism is practiced. It has also raised some fundamental questions about the future of traditional news media and about the First Amendment itself. The amendment provides, as we all know, for a free and unencumbered press, but does the Internet fall under its protective umbrella? Recent court decisions have suggested it may not, but the problem is that the First Amendment, despite sounding like a categorical statement, is actually vague and open to interpretation. In this fascinating, well-reasoned book, Bollinger, president of Columbia University, traces the evolution of the First Amendment and discusses what the future might hold in store for the notion of a free press. He asks, for example, whether the American press can maintain integrity and uniqueness in the face of the new “global media.” While the prose is perhaps a bit dry, the ideas under discussion are rich and should spark debate among those who are concerned about the future of journalism and the free press. –David Pitt
Review
“Lee Bollinger makes a powerful case for the press as ‘our scout and our explorer’ in a global society. His book celebrates the freedom protected by the First Amendment in this country but goes beyond that to consider how the press can survive to do its job, here and in the world. It is a work of vision and provocation.”–Anthony Lewis, author of Freedom for the Thought that we Hate
“At a moment of existential threat to the role and even existence of the American press, Lee Bollinger has written a lucid and masterful account of the press and the First Amendment in the 21st century. Sweeping well beyond legal analysis, Bollinger’s focus on the need to overcome barriers to newsgathering within the United States and abroad makes this book an indispensable contribution to how to save the press and how to make the press worth saving.”–Floyd Abrams, author of Speaking Freely
“In this probing analysis of the evolution of the meaning and practice of ‘freedom of the press’ in US history, Lee Bollinger proves once again he is a leading thinker of the First Amendment. I have known Lee for over 30 years: I admire him, read him and quote him (usually with attribution); and I certainly recommend this book.”–John Sexton, President, New York University
“…Uninhibited, Robust and Wide-Open offers its readers a wonderful opportunity to test their own thinking in such matters and decide for themselves.” — Concurring Opinions
“The volume, Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for a New Century, is concise in format yet expansive in ideas…Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open is part of Oxford University Press’s Inalienable Rights series…Lee Bollinger provides a worthy addition to this group, and his contribution packs quite a punch in just a slim volume. The book is gracefully written and filled with impeccable legal analysis, thus making for quite an enjoyable and stimulating read. Readers will take away from it renewed understandings of First Amendment freedoms and the responsibilities of the media. The book is highly recommended for public and academic law libraries, as well as general academic libraries.” —Law Library Journal
Book Description
A new volume in the prestigious Inalienable Rights series–a leading First Amendment expert offers an insightful and spirited look at the free press in America
About the Author
Lee C. Bollinger is the president of Columbia University and one of the nation’s most thoughtful and original scholars of the First Amendment. He has received numerous awards and honors for his writings and public actions defending freedom of speech and press. He is also well-known for his leadership in successfully defending affirmative action and diversity in American higher education, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in 2003. His books include The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech in America, Images of a Free Press (OUP, 1986), and Eternally Vigilant: Free Speech in the Modern Era. He lives in New York City and Vermont with his wife, Jean.
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