Is Constitutionalized Media Freedom only Window Dressing? Evidence from Terrorist Attacks

Media freedom is often curtailed in the wake of terrorist attacks. In this contribution, we
ask whether constitutional provisions that are intended—directly or indirectly—to protect
media freedom afect the degree to which press freedom is curtailed after terrorist incidents. We fnd that neither provisions explicitly protecting media freedom nor provisions
that might protect media freedom indirectly (such as those guaranteeing the independence
of the judiciary) mitigate the post-terror curtailment of press freedom.