从概括意义上讲,新闻自由是公民利用和直接从事新闻活动的自由,早在17世纪新闻自由就被政治思想家提出,18、19世纪逐渐形成世界自由民主思潮的重要支流。并且,新闻自由于18世纪开始被欧美一些国家或地区的宪法所确认,20世纪以来已经成为世界各国法律和国际组织的普遍认可和捍卫 In a general sense, freedom of the press is the freedom for citizens to use and engage in news activities directly. As early as the 17th century, press freedom was put forward by political thinkers. In the 18th and 19th centuries, an important tributary of the world trend of freedom and democracy was gradually formed. Moreover, since the eighteenth century, freedom of the press began to be confirmed by the constitutions of some countries in Europe and the United States. Since the 20th century, press freedom has become universally recognized and defended by laws and international organizations in various countries of the world