This study applies terror management theory from social psychology to test the effects of death thoughts on attitudes toward the press’ right to access government records. Results from an experiment (N = 158) indicated that those who most value national security express less support for freedom of information. Further, under a death thought condition attitudes are amplified such that people who most value national security demonstrate even lower support for press access to government records and people who least value national security demonstrate increased support for access to public records when confronted with their own mortality. The results provide one potential explanation for the polarization of public attitudes toward access to public records during times of mortal strife. Implications are discussed, including theoretically based suggestions for preventing polarization during troubled times.