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Press Freedom in America. Richard C. Cortner Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996. 216 pp. $55.00 cloth.
Cortner attempts to illuminate a lesser-known area of American constitutional development and to draw attention to some traditionally ignored aspects of Huey Long's autocracy in Louisiana. The freedom of the press in America is first discussed, focusing on the ability of the state to control and punish unpopular ideas. Cortner identifies and profiles the personalities in the Louisiana press, and shows how their rapport with the Kingfish changed over time. In addition, Long's life and political antics are chronicled. Soon after becoming Senator, Long was vehemently opposed by most of the daily press of Louisiana, and, wishing to silence them, he pushed through a 1934 state tax on their advertising revenue, calling...