Throughout the history of the United States of America, the Constitution has always been put to the test. The first amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the press. The founders of the United States of America originally created the first amendment to allow colonists to speak out against the British. The press in the 17th century was accurate and informative with little competition among journalists. But today in the 20th century the circumstances are different and the stakes are higher. Due to an incredibly high amount of competition among journalists today, the information show to the viewers is usually exaggerated in order to capture a viewing audience.

The media is everywhere you turn. You can find the media in various forms such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and now on the information superhighway. In the process of capturing ratings, who is the media harming more? Is it people who are accused of a crime, such as O.J. Simpson, or is it the American public's stupidity for believing everything they hear? Limitations greatly need to placed upon the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution in regard to freedom of the press because presently the media is doing more har

The media feels that they should act as a "watchdog". This causes many of the ethical problems among the media because they assume the responsibility of keeping a check on the government, by acting as governmental critics, governmental experts, etc. The media digs, probes, and snoops in governmental affairs which eventually leads the media to speculate and create rumors while they are trying to expose corruption. This "watchdog" attitude of the media creates the idea that the government is evil and must constantly be checked. But, according to Lisa Orr, "Nobody checks the checker" (63). John Silber, a critic of the media in 1988 said:

The power that the media has is derived from its ability to mold the public opinion by presenting exaggerated and biased coverage of events. The media functions as the national judge and jury. It tarnishes the reputations of many people just like the McCarthy trials. We live in a capitalist society in which money is our main motive. A journalist today is not concerned with telling the truth on an issue, but what they can say that will sell and make the most money. A journalist named Nicholas Von Hoffman wrote, "Butchers make sausage. Newspapers make public affairs. Has that hunger driven the media out of control?" (Nachman 26)

It is our job, as the media, to report about what the public wants. If they want to hear about the Menedez brothers, the Bobbitts, Tonya and Nancy, Whitewater, or O.J. Simpson, then we'll report about it. We need to write about what the public wants in order to keep them buying newspapers. (Nachman 26)

Most recently during September 1995, a federal Cincinnati court ordered Business Week to pull an article from its about to be published issue or risk being held in contempt. Business Week had acquired sealed documents about the lawsuit between Proctor & Gamble and Bankers Trust about improper practices of selling securities. Without giving the magazine a chance to be heard, the court issued a restraining order. (Kaplan 70)

The audience of Rush Limbaugh has grown considerably the over the last five years. Radio stations carrying the Limbaugh Show have increased. In restaurants, there are areas called "The Rush Room" where you can eat and listen to him on the radio. Limbaugh speaks his mind as he constantly puts down democrats, liberals, and anything or anyone who does not share his views. At times the information Limbaugh provides is inaccurate. For example on June 27, 1993 Limbaugh played a tape from June 21, 1993 in which Secretary Lloyd Benson stated that the new Clinton budget plan would bring the stock market down. A proud Limbaugh failed to recognize that on June 27, 1993 the Stock Market, Dow Jones, and NASDAQ index had risen since June 21, 1993 (Shenk 9). Due to the increase in Limbaugh's popularity, he now has both a radio and a television show. His influence on the public was clear in the '94 elections in which the newly elected Congressional majority was Republican. Before the '94 election, members of Congress were fearing Limbaugh's power. In the Senate, a bill referred to as the "Hush Rush" was design

Some common words found in the essay are:
Simpson American, Noam Chomsky, Lewis B14, Bankers Trust, United America, OJ Simpson, Tags Stern, John Silber, Rush Limbaugh, Fairness Doctrine, oj simpson, supreme court, fairness doctrine, power media, radio television, nachman 26, supreme court heard, failed recognize, howard stern, freedom press, simpson american, june 27 1993, infinity broadcasting company, june 21 1993,
Approximate Word count = 2086
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)