What made sense in 1791 no longer fits the society of 2016. The United States should join the rest of the world in responding to twenty-first-century press problems by enacting twenty-first-century solutions. The time has come to demand changes to our nearly nonexistent press regulation.

Before being allowed to own a printing press or website, would-be writers should be required to pass a rigorous background check. No one with a felony conviction, restraining order, or a history of mental health problems should be permitted to publish. No one on the terror watch list should even be allowed near a keyboard.

Would-be journalists and authors must be properly trained in the safe use of publishing. No one without at least a B.A. in journalism or English from an accredited college should be issued a license.

To limit the scope of dangerous publishing, we must restrict the size of presses and websites. No press should be permitted to print more than 250 pages per hour. “Smart website” technology must be developed so blogs and online publications shut down for 24 hours after reaching 1,000 pageviews.