Final answer:
The Zenger case established freedom of the press as a basic liberty. This freedom plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy democracy, since it exposes government abuses and corruption. However, it is not an absolute right and is protected by the First Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Zenger case helped establish freedom of the press as a basic liberty. During the case of John Peter Zenger in 1735, John was charged with seditious libel by then colonial governor William Cosby, for his publications in the New York Weekly Journal, which supposedly routed corruption in the colonial government. His lawyers successfully defended him and he was found not guilty. This in itself affirmed the necessity of freedom of the press in the colonies. Over the years, the concept of freedom of the press, which grants the right to free expresssion, played an instrumental role in keeping democracy healthy, as it exposes government abuses and corruption. Yet, this is not an absolute freedom, as it cannot involve slander or libel, or any form of publishing that would compromise national security. The First Amendment protects this right.
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