Final answer:
The Supreme Court case of Near v. Minnesota extended the freedom of the press to the states through the process of selective incorporation via the 14th Amendment's due process clause.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court case of Near v. Minnesota extended the freedom of the press to the states. This 1931 decision was significant in the ongoing process of selective incorporation, where the Court applied protections from the Bill of Rights to the individual states. They did so through the 14th Amendment's due process clause, which has been interpreted to protect fundamental liberties that cannot be infringed upon by the states.
Historically, the Bill of Rights was considered as only applying to the federal government. However, starting with the case of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad v. City of Chicago in 1897, the Supreme Court began to apply certain provisions of the Bill of Rights to protect citizens against state actions. The process of selective incorporation took shape over years, not by explicitly inserting the Bill of Rights into state laws but by ruling state laws that violate these rights as unconstitutional, particularly through the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.The Supreme Court's decision in Near v. Minnesota stands as a pivotal point in the extension of the Bill of Rights to the states, reaffirming the essential right of freedom of the press against state encroachment.