State Press Law Provisions and State Demographics

Five aspects of freedom of press remain under the jurisdiction of the states: 1. libel, 2. confidentiality of sources, 3. obscenity, 4. cameras and recorders in the courtroom, and 5. access to government meetings and records. A study was undertaken to analyze the states and identify factors that are either positively or negatively related to press laws. A total of 43 social, economic, cultural, and political characteristics were examined to see whether they were statistically associated with 8 measures of press rights in the states. There were 25 statistically significant correlation coefficients among the 8 press law provisions and 43 state attributes. Open meetings seemed to be related to characteristics of younger states. Retraction statutes were positively associated with the election of judges, home ownership, and level of education.