Freedom of expression is enshrined both in the Romanian Constitution and in the European law, and a constant figure in domestic and European caselaw. Its current signification, including media freedom, cannot be understood outside its historical foundations and social functions, whose study helps us understand the dangers of censorship, propaganda, or manipulation. Each epoch in the evolution of the written press shapes the content of its freedom and limitations. Its first constitutional enshrinement dates to 1866, but the idea had emerged in the political discourse around 1848, as the result of a long period of heavy censorship. While enacted in every Romanian fundamental law since then, its actual manifestations differed from one epoch to another. Our paper aims at circumscribing the historical evolution of this milestone of democracy. For legal history teaches us a lesson: freedoms in general and freedom of the press, in particular, can never be taken for granted.