I was reading an article from the Guardian about Trump’s plan to take over Gaza. I get to the end of the article and there is a lengthy message from the Guardian. It reads: “With the new administration boasting about its desire to punish journalists, and Trump and his allies already pursuing lawsuits against newspapers whose stories they don’t like, it has never been more urgent, or more perilous, to pursue fair, accurate reporting.” It continues, “The Guardian has neither a self-interested billionaire owner nor profit-seeking corporate henchmen pressuring us to appease the rich and powerful.” This frightened me, not just as a journalist, but as someone who relies on the news to be an accurate and unbiased source of information.
When Donald Trump was inaugurated in 2017, nine journalists were arrested while covering protests in Washington, DC, with several facing rioting charges. This marked the beginning of a troubling trend over the next four years, during which more than two hundred reporters encountered criminal charges for reporting on protests. The bulk of these charges occurred in 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd, as journalists raced to cover the nationwide racial justice demonstrations. The Freedom of the Press Foundation reports that 2020 saw a record number of attacks on the press, with 640 assaults on journalists and nearly 150 arrests.
A free press is fundamental to democracy, ensuring that journalists can gather and share information, media outlets can operate independently, and the public has access to diverse ideas, opinions, and information. Any pressure that undermines journalists' ability to work without fear, restricts editors' freedom to make editorial decisions or limits the public's access to information and ideas weakens the overall freedom of the press.
Trump has publicly referred to the media as "the enemy of the people," a "threat to democracy," "fake," and "crooked bastards," and has vowed to prosecute them. His deeply held belief that independent media is "truly the enemy of the people" and should be replaced with sources that align with his personal views and are controlled by him and his allies is dangerous. Even in his interactions with reporters, Trump further normalizes the idea that journalists who merely ask him questions are legitimate targets for criticism.
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Media organizations are increasingly giving in to pressure. Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, billionaire owners of the Washington Post and L.A. Times respectively, both withdrew their papers' editorial endorsements of Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris. Since Trump's election victory, both newspapers have faced additional editorial challenges. For instance, in early January, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned from the Washington Post after the paper blocked her cartoon about Bezos and other tech billionaires submitting to Trump. This week, a freelance contributor to the L.A. Times claimed his submission was altered just before publication to misrepresent his opinion on the potential threat posed by Trump's nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, is currently in discussions to settle a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Trump against the network last November. Trump's lawsuit accuses 60 Minutes, the network’s flagship news program, of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by editing an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her appear more appealing. The lawsuit is meritless. Editing interviews is a standard journalistic practice, as seen with networks like FOX News, which frequently edits interviews to remove Trump’s rambling responses. These editorial decisions are protected by the First Amendment, which ensures broad freedom for the press to make content decisions.
Trump has also launched legally questionable lawsuits against any media outlet that angers him. Before the 2024 election, he filed suits against multiple publishers, broadcasters, and platforms, including Meta, ABC, CBS, and the Des Moines Register. Meta recently settled with Trump for $25 million, ABC for $15 million and CBS' parent company, Paramount, is reportedly in settlement talks this week (potentially aiming to win Trump’s support for a merger with Skydance Media).
So what happens to freedom of the press when the president can bully media outlets he doesn’t like into paying big money to end his meritless lawsuits against them? Media organizations may feel compelled to self-censor or avoid critical coverage to avoid costly legal battles, even when the claims are without merit. This undermines the press's ability to hold those in power accountable and weakens its role as a vital check on government actions. When media outlets are financially burdened or intimidated, it can diminish the diversity of opinions and reporting that are essential for a healthy democracy. Trump and his administration are sending a clear message, which is to cross him at your own peril.
So pay close attention to attacks on journalists and lawsuits targeting publishers, broadcasters, and platforms. These actions signal the growth of a hostile media landscape that undermines the press's ability to report independently. Don’t overlook the clear direction of these developments: a wholesale effort by Trump and his allies to dismantle the free press and create an information ecosystem controlled by those who share his views.
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