Americans Back Press Freedom With Limits

A new Pew‑Knight survey finds most U.S. adults say the First Amendment and press freedom are important, but few are absolutists — many accept conditional limits (for example, on publishing classified military details or forcing reporters to reveal unnamed sources in some cases). Views vary sharply by party: Democrats are generally more protective of news organizations from government actions than Republicans during the current (second Trump) administration. — This nuance matters because public tolerance for conditional press restrictions influences policy debates over government subpoenas, declassification rules, platform moderation, and legal protections for journalists.