▁political ▁speech , ▁anonymous ▁speech , ▁campaign ▁finan cing , ▁por n ography , ▁and ▁school ▁speech ; ▁these ▁r ul ings ▁also ▁defined ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁exceptions ▁to ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁prote ctions . ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁over turn ed ▁English ▁common ▁law ▁preced ent ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁bur den ▁of ▁proof ▁for ▁lib el ▁su its , ▁most ▁not ably ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Co . ▁v . ▁S ull ivan ▁( 1 9 6 4 ). ▁Com mer cial ▁speech ▁is ▁less ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁than ▁political ▁speech , ▁and ▁is ▁therefore ▁subject ▁to ▁greater ▁reg ulation . ▁ ▁The ▁Free ▁Press ▁Cla use ▁protect s ▁publication ▁of ▁information ▁and ▁opinions , ▁and ▁applies ▁to ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁media . ▁In ▁Near ▁v . ▁Minnesota ▁( 1 9 3 1 ) ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁v . ▁United ▁States ▁( 1 9 7 1 ), ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁protected ▁against ▁prior ▁rest raint — pre - public ation ▁c ensor ship — in ▁almost ▁all ▁cases . ▁The ▁Pet ition ▁Cla use ▁protect s ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁pet ition ▁all ▁branches ▁and ▁ag encies ▁of ▁government ▁for ▁action . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁assembly ▁guaranteed ▁by ▁this ▁clause , ▁the ▁Court ▁has ▁also ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁am end ment ▁implicitly ▁protect s ▁freedom ▁of ▁association . ▁ ▁Second ▁Am end ment ▁ ▁The ▁Second ▁Am end ment ▁protect s ▁the ▁individual ▁right ▁to ▁keep ▁and