Karl Marx and Freedom of the Press

Abstract

The repression of journalism and political opposition perpetrated by the Prussian government and other anti-democratic régimes in Europe had a strong impact on Marx. In many ways, it shaped his life. When he started his career as a writer in the early 1840s, Germany had one of the most oppressive systems of censorship in the whole of Europe. He spent two intensive periods on the journalistic frontline in Prussia, first fighting censorship (in Rheinische Zeitung) and then fighting the post-production prosecutions that replaced it (in Neue Rheinische Zeitung). His fight against the Prussian repression of the press was the major reason why he had to flee his home country and spend most of his adult life in exile. This article describes his life-long dedication to freedom of expression and shows how it connects to other political standpoints. It also gives an account of his commitment to journalistic principles such as the protection of sources and anonymous writers.