Question

What is a prior restraint?

1- when the media is prevented from publishing or is forced to clear information with the government before publishing

2- an act passed by the Federalists in 1798 that made it a crime to criticize the president

3- knowingly and falsely harming another person's reputation

4- when journalists are protected from turning over the identities of their sources

Answer 1

Prior restraint is when the media is prevented from publishing or is forced to clear information with the government before publishing (1).

It is distinguished from censorship in that the content (speech, art, etc.) is checked and restricted by the authorities in power before it is released, whereas censorship is the limitation of content which has already been published.

In the U.S., prior restraint is forbidden by the First Amendment of the Constitution, because it would mean that the government is hampering free speech.