Final answer:
The Supreme Court has generally expanded freedom of the press by limiting government censorship, as evidenced by landmark cases like Near v. Minnesota and the Pentagon Papers case.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best assesses how Supreme Court decisions have impacted freedom of the press is b) Supreme Court decisions have expanded freedom of the press by limiting government censorship. Evidence of this includes landmark cases such as Near v. Minnesota and the Pentagon Papers case. In Near v. Minnesota, the Court affirmed that the government generally cannot engage in prior restraint, thereby upholding press freedoms. Similarly, in the Pentagon Papers case, the Court found that the government could not stop the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing materials from a classified Vietnam War history, thus reinforcing the standard against government censorship in the interest of preserving a free press.
It is critical to understand that while the Supreme Court has upheld press freedoms, there are exceptions where national security concerns or rights against defamation and obscenity may lead to certain limitations. Overall, the Supreme Court rulings have consistently protected the rights of the press, often emphasizing the important balance between a free press and other competing interests such as national security.