Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger

2026-08-31 · 63 min · episode 5 · 9 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ discusses History website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History
→ discusses Government company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Government
→ hosted by Rewind Studios company

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Feed author/publisher: Rewind Studios
→ references @GovernmentThatDoesntSuck website

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evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger": https://youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuck

Entities found in this episode

companys 4

mentioned Rewind Studios company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Rewind Studios
mentioned Government company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Government
discusses Government company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Government
hosted by Rewind Studios company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Rewind Studios

websites 4

mentioned History website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History
mentioned @GovernmentThatDoesntSuck website

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evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger": https://youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuck
discusses History website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History
references @GovernmentThatDoesntSuck website

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evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger": https://youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuck

concepts 1

mentioned The Trial of John Peter Zenger concept

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evidence rules-v5
Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger

Episode description as stored

In 1735, a colonial printer named John Peter Zenger spent nine months in jail for printing someone else's criticism of a corrupt governor, and his trial helped plant the seeds of a free press in America decades before the First Amendment existed. This episode, we trace the origins of press freedom, why "fake news" is a much older problem than you'd think, and why the Constitution protects the printer, not the truth — plus a conversation with historian Mitchell Kramer on what Benjamin Franklin really thought about truth and partisanship in the press. Head over to our Government That Doesn’t Suck YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuck If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Government That Doesn’t Suck to never miss an episode! Government That Doesn’t Suck is a Rewind Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios Follow us on Social Instagram: @RewindStudios TikTok: @RewindStudios YouTube: @GovenmentThatDoesntSuck