Freedom of the press in the United States is legally protected by the First Amendment, which famously declares: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

Nearly three-quarters U.S. adults say press freedom is extremely or very important to the well-being of society, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. But there’s been grave concern about the state of press freedom for some time. A separate Pew survey from 2023 found that 57% of U.S. journalists reported feeling extremely or very concerned about potential restrictions on press freedoms.

“We are truly standing at a crossroads in which one of the five freedoms of the First Amendment is under unprecedented duress,” said Ken Paulson, who directs the Free Speech Center at the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University. “We’ve seen, for decades, attacks by politicians on news media of all sorts. And it’s part and parcel of the relationship between a free press and those in power, but what we’re seeing now is much more aggressive and involves the use of government power directly against journalism.”

The responsibility of supporting press freedom cannot and should not fall on one person — or even the entire press corps.

“There are a lot of ways that someone can get engaged and get informed about the press freedom issues that are facing everyone today,” said Jenn Topper, vice president of communications for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “Press freedom isn’t something that just belongs to journalists. It belongs to the public, and it’s the reason we have information about what’s going on in our daily lives.”

Poynter spoke with several people to see what everyday folks can do to support press freedom organizations and press freedom. Below are a few actionable steps anyone can take.

Subscribe to stay informed

Here’s a good starting point: Subscribe to newsletter updates from press freedom organizations — groups that actively promote and defend the freedom of the press.

“That’s one of the ways that you can really, really stay informed,” Topper said of the RCFP, which provides pro bono legal representation to and on behalf of journalists.

Read the full article about freedom of the press by Amaris Castillo at Poynter.