[mcpackieh]

> Well we already have laws against mobs violently attacking people.

And violation of those laws is a threat to the freedom of the press.

Let's consider a hypothetical but plausible example: A billionaire named Elon Bezos is tired of journalists exposing his illegal schemes so he hires the Pinkertons to stalk and harass journalists, dox them and post their personal information on 4chan with claims of those journalists working for the pizzagate illuminati, and threaten their friends and family with life ruination and murder. In this hypothetical everything done is illegal and none of it was done by the government; would you therefore earnestly conclude that none of it constitutes a threat to the freedom of the press? Ludicrous.

You need to stop conflating the First Amendment with freedom of the press. The First Amendment is one law that aims to protect the freedom of the press from one specific kind of threat; threats coming from the government. It does not preclude the existence of other kinds of threats to freedom of the press.

[jjk166]

> In this hypothetical everything done is illegal

That's the important bit. Assuming that use of violence against journalists is illegal and the law is enforced, then that is freedom of the press. Similarly your right to own property is protected even if there are burglars out there.

[mrguyorama]

That is a crime of harrassment and other "You're being an ass to someone" crimes. A private person cannot violate the freedom of the press because a private person has almost zero restrictions on their speech. THAT IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH, and any attempt to curtail that response is an attempt to stifle their speech!

[mcpackieh]

For the life of me I cannot figure out what you're responding to. Certainly nothing in my posts. Why don't you relax and try reading?

> That is a crime of harrassment and other "You're being an ass to someone" crimes. A private person cannot violate the freedom of the press

A private person can violate the freedom of the press using the crime of harassment! If a private person goes around murdering journalists they don't like, that's an attack on the freedom of the press. How can you possibly be so myopic as to not see this?