Libertarians support the rights of individuals to unrestricted free
speech and freedom of the press. This, like other libertarian
positions, is based on the principle of self-ownership, and being able
to make your own decisions so long as you harm no one else. What
exactly does this mean? What about yelling "fire" in a crowded theater?
"Unrestricted"
in this context means "unrestricted by government." It means that
government cannot make any law infringing on the individual's right to
speech, because speech itself causes no harm to anyone.
What about yelling "fire" in a theater, or spreading misinformation
about someone in order to harm them? In a free society, these issues
are all addressed by libertarian principles without government
restricting speech.
For instance, speech can be limited by property owners on their
property. If I come in to your house, you can make rules about what
can and cannot be said, and ask me to leave if I don't abide by these
rules. Most of us do this today, even if only implicitly. Likewise, a
theater is private property, and in the interest of safety and customer
satisfaction, a theater owner can remove or even ban an individual from
re-entry if they become a nuisance.
Fraud is also a no-no in a free society, so intentionally spreading
misinformation can be prevented or prosecuted on those grounds without
an explicit restriction on the freedom of speech.
The original intent of the concept of free speech and a free press
was because the founders believed it important that individuals have
the right to dissent from government. Previous forms of government
often considered it a criminal offense to denounce those in power.
Today, we understand the importance of speaking out against government
actions when we believe they are wrong. Libertarians believe that it's
important to use reason to persuade others, not force and coercion to
make them bend to your will.
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