“Freedom of the Press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose”
― George Orwell
One of the first targets of authoritarian regimes is the media. Authoritarian leaders, in a bid to consolidate power and suppress dissent, will attack the free press. Allegations of ‘fake news’ are used to delegitimize news organizations and sow doubt in the public. In extreme cases, regimes will make direct attacks on media institutions, such as threatening legal action or buying up news networks. The United States is currently on the path of descent into an autocratic state through the president’s attacks on the press.
Attacks on the media are not unique to the current administration. President Trump made his initial rise to power through charges against perceived bias against him and his campaign from mainstream news networks like CNN and MSNBC. Since his return to the White House, he has taken more extreme measures to stop news outlets from publishing content he doesn’t like.
President Trump signed off on a rare rescissions bill in June to pull billions of dollars in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which helps fund public news outlets such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). The CPB has announced that it will be shutting down due to these funding cuts, taking a serious blow to publicly funded media. This is a part of the president’s crusade against perceived government overspending, but in reality, it’s a means of consolidating power and suppressing voices that will actually oppose him.
This is a crucial function of the free press: to spread awareness and draw attention to important issues. To provide people with the facts and stories they need to know. It is the mark of a good news organization and journalist to seek out the truth, even when it’s inconvenient, even when it’s dangerous.
Politicians are aware of this power and have historically cracked down on the press when it’s most convenient for them. The Pentagon Papers, which exposed the deception the US government engaged in during the Vietnam War, were published by The New York Times, which became the subject of a landmark Supreme Court case. At that time, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the freedom of the press and rejected the Nixon administration’s attempts to bury the truth. But now we live in a time where we dishearteningly see news outlets comply with the president’s demands.
President Trump and his legal team have initiated a barrage of lawsuits targeting major media companies with allegations of defamation. Companies like ABC News and Paramount Global reached settlement agreements and have subsequently made questionable decisions. After airing an episode that merely mentioned Charlie Kirk’s death, ABC News briefly pulled ‘The Jimmy Kimmel Show’ off the air, though his show was quickly reinstated. Similarly, CBS, which Paramount Global owns, canceled ‘The Stephen Colbert Show,’ which was known for its criticisms of Donald Trump. Though CBS has officially stated that this decision was not politically motivated, it happened just a few days after Paramount Global reached its settlement with Trump.
The increasing encroachments on our country’s media spell out a dark future for our civil freedoms. But not all is lost, as several news companies are willing to stand up to the president’s punches. Publications like The Guardian, The Atlantic, and AP News have remained committed to publishing honest journalism and resisting pressure from Trump. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have decided to challenge the lawsuits levied against them rather than settle. PBS and NPR have continued operations despite the recent cuts, with PBS adopting the slogan “Defunded but not Defeated.”
It’s more important than ever to support journalism. In an age fraught with suspicion of institutions, political polarization, and creeping authoritarianism, the press must be there to seek out and deliver the truth to the public. Free expression and the press are key to combating the iron fist of an emerging political despot. The US is on the path to authoritarianism, and slowly killing the free press is a means to that end. We are not fully there yet; there is still hope that our media institutions will prevail.
