Right to Offend

Brian Winston is Professor of Communications and holder of the Lincoln Chair at the University of Lincoln, UK. He has held senior academic posts at UK National Film and Television School, New York University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Wales (Cardiff), Westminster University and the University of Lincoln where, before his present position, he was a Pro-Vice Chancellor. At the University of Glasgow, he was the Glasgow Media Group's first director, producing Bad News (1976) and More Bad News (1980). His other books include Media Technology and Society: A History from the Telegraph to the Internet (for which he won 'Best Book of 1998', American Association for History and Computing) and Messages: Free Expression, Media and the West from Gutenberg to Google (2005).

• Introduction: The ArgumentPart One: The Challenge Foreword: A Lesson to the Circumspect A Story to Pass the Waking Hours of the Night A More Remarkable StoryGive Me More of these ExamplesAfterword: Perceive the Dawn of the DayPart Two: The Brief (1)Foreword: Actus Reus Supresso VeriActionesConsensuAfterword: Ceteris ParibusPart Three: The Brief (2) Foreword: Non SequiturCustos MorumEx ConcessisConsensus ad IdemSugestio FalsiAfterword: Contra Ius Commune Part Four: The Defence Foreword: Accedas ad CuriamMens ReaObita DictaStare DecisisAfterword: Post Mortem

Every generation needs to be reminded, in George Orwell's words, that "Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear". This message is even more important in our globalized and networked world, in which nearly everyone, it seems, can speak and be heard. As usual, Brian Winston is an ideal guide to the past as well as the present and even the future challenges faced by those who are devoted to preserving this most basic human right.