Which statement describes the 'freedom of the press' guarantee associated with Massachusetts leaders?

• A. It argued that the press should be censored by the state.
• B. It asserted that freedom of the press ought not to be restrained.
• C. It required newspapers to be approved by the governor.
• D. It taxed journalists to fund colonial defense.

Answer: (B)

Freedom of the press means the government should not restrain what can be published. Massachusetts leaders stressed that newspapers and printers ought to operate without state censorship or prior approval, so information and critical voices can reach the public. That idea—that the press ought not to be restrained—best captures the guarantee. The other options describe censorship, official control, or taxing journalists, which would undermine free expression.