A right, immunity, defense, benefit, or exemption granted to special group of people, especially persons in authority or office, to free them from certain obligations or liabilities; notably including: "absolute" (public official), "congressional speech and debate" (constitutional exemption), "public personage / figure" (no shield beyond specific area), "practitioner's" (physician, psychologist, chaplain, etc), "employer's" (to communicate with employees about work), "whistleblower's" (expose corruption without trespass or intrusion), "qualified" (opinion clause beyond profession or issue). In publishing, "comparative advertising" (contrast recognizable products, not opinion), "reporter's" (fair comment immunity), "editor's" (alter grammar and quotes without changing meaning; no defamation or infringement). The Supreme Court (Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Human Rel. Comm'n, 1973) emphasized the importance of independent editorial judgment. It prohibited "any restriction whatever, whether of context or layout, on stories or commentary originated by , its columnists, or its contributors." The Court reaffirmed "unequivocally the protection afforded to editorial judgment and to the free expression of views on these and other issues, however controversial." The judicial decision (Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 1974) averred that " he choice of material to go into a newspaper, and the decisions made as to limitations on the size and content of the paper, and treatment of public issues and public officials -- whether fair or unfair -- constitute the exercise of editorial control and judgment." See edit, freedom of speech.