This paper discusses the background of the Prussian Publishing Act and regards it as an important
step to Marx’s view of press freedom. After the abolishment of censorship during the revolution of 1848,
Marx became an active advocator. The article is one of his typical works at that time. In the relatively free
atmosphere of the Prussian Rhineland, young Marx worked as a journalist after graduating from university,
encouraged by his mentors and peers. Completely contrary to a revolutionary stereotype, Marx as the editor
of Rheinische Zeitung and Neue Rheinische Zeitung was quite pragmatic. This explains the commercial
success of these newspapers. Later on Marx never edited a newspaper as successful as Neue Rheinische
Zeitung. The reason may be his shift of attention and the inconvenience caused by the exile rather than his
incompetence as a journalist.