Pentagon Papers Case

Definition

The Pentagon Papers Case refers to a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on First Amendment rights. In 1971, The New York Times published classified documents (Pentagon Papers) revealing government deception about the Vietnam War. The government tried to prevent further publication, but the court ruled in favor of press freedom.

Analogy

Imagine if your friend shared your secret with others without your permission. You'd be upset and might try to stop them from sharing more secrets. But what if those secrets were harmful or misleading? That's similar to what happened in this case - though it involved national security secrets rather than personal ones.

Related terms

First Amendment: Part of Bill of Rights, it protects freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and right to petition.

Freedom of Press: This is one aspect protected under First Amendment which allows for free dissemination of news and opinions without government censorship.

Daniel Ellsberg: He was a former military analyst who leaked Pentagon Papers exposing government lies about Vietnam War.