From the 18th century to the present, freedom of the press has been a point of contention in the courts. Whether it involves cases of alleged defamation against a public figure or the government's attempt to censor the media for publishing criticism or scandalous news about the government, the Supreme Court has done its part in setting the precedent for free speech cases Today. Cases such as New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and New York Times Co. v. United States have strengthened publication rights to be the voice of the people and responsibilities to ensure that the voices of the people are heard. When John Zenger was tried in 1735 for “seditious libel,” for publishing inflammatory words against the royal governor of the colony of New York, there was no First Amendment to protect him. The only people who were guaranteed freedom of speech were members of Parliament, as set out in the Bill of Rights of 1689. This changed when the jury found him not guilty because what he was saying was true. Defamation would be redefined again 200 years later with the case of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. On March 29, 1960, the New York Times ran the newspaper with an ad purchased by the “Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and Fight for World Freedom.” The press was supposed to serve the governed, not the governors. The government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would forever remain free to censor the government. The press was protected so that it could reveal government secrets and inform the people. Only a free and unbridled press can effectively expose government deceptions. And fundamental among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign bullets..