A classified Department of Defense study on the effectiveness of the United States involvement in the Afghanistan War is obtained by a newspaper. The president seeks to block the publication of the document. The court rules in favor of the newspaper, citing as precedent the Supreme Court's decision in New York Times Co v. United States (1971). Based on the ruling in the Supreme Court's decision, which of the following lines of reasoning does the court most likely use? A Freedom of the press cannot be abridged except for restrictions on time place, and manner of the communication. B Freedom of the press requires that the government show a significant danger to national security in order to stop publication. C Freedom of the press permits the press to print any story, but if the story embarrasses public officials, they can sue under defamation laws. D Freedom of the press cannot be abridged by the actions of the president without a law passed by Congress.

## Step 1<br />The problem is about understanding the Supreme Court's decision in the case of New York Times Co v. United States (1971). This case is a landmark case in the context of the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of the press.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The Supreme Court's decision in this case established the "heavy presumption against prior restraint". This means that the government cannot prevent the publication of information unless it can prove that the publication would cause a "grave and irreparable" danger.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The court's decision in this case was based on the principle that the government cannot suppress the publication of information unless it can show a significant danger to national security. This is because the freedom of the press is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Based on this understanding, we can conclude that the court's reasoning in this case aligns with option B: "Freedom of the press requires that the government show a significant danger to national security in order to stop publication."