Prior restraint means that courts and governments ______.
A)can block the press from publishing any article they deem inflammatory or controversial
B)cannot block any publication or speech before it occurs
C)have the right to review every article before it is published
D)can give the news media rules on what they can and cannot publish
E)None of the options is correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prior restraint refers to the government or courts stopping the publication or speech before it occurs. Option B reflect this definition. Option A is incorrect because it suggests that courts and governments can block any article they deem inflammatory or controversial, which is not true. Option C is incorrect because it would mean that every single article must go through government review, which would be impractical and a violation of the First Amendment. Option D is incorrect because while the government can give guidelines or rules to the press, it cannot outright block publication or speech without a compelling reason.

Prior Restraint Means That Courts and Governments ______