German printer and publisher John Peter Zenger was accused of libel in 1734 because he released press criticizing the motives of William Cosby, who was serving as the governor of New York at the time.

Part of what makes this case so interesting is that the media presented by Zenger was obviously opinion-based. Because he was tried by the same person he wrote about, a conflict of interest was presented in the case itself.

After Zenger spent days in and out of court, he was pronounced not guilty by the jury. This was a large moment in the history of free speech because it showed that the press could not be limited by the government, and that freedom of expression was warranted.

Generally, we see media from many different perspectives around specific issues. In fact, these perspectives can be extremely different, or even support each other. Had Zenger not been acquitted of his accusation of libel, there may not be quite as monumental of a difference in opinion in the media today. Thus, Zenger paved the way for the freedom of press for the years to come.