The books, newspaper columns, articles, and speeches of Walter Lippmann were analyzed to determine the journalist's First Amendment viewpoints in four periods when national security was an issue in the United States. These periods were (1) after World War I, (2) after the Korean War, (3) during World War II, and (4) during the war in Vietnam. The analysis revealed that at times when national security was a dominant issue, Lippmann was skeptical of majority rule, a basic democratic principle, because he thought many members of the public were ill-informed. However, throughout his career, Lippmann strongly advocated freedom of information and open debate, and saw these concepts as conditions for greater participation in democratic processes. The findings suggest that although Lippmann did not take an absolutist approach to the First Amendment, he certainly advocated wide-spread freedom of expression for the press and individuals. (FL)