Is Democracy Dying? New Poll Paints Grim Picture For Press Freedom
While it's always tempting to simply ignore the President's anti-media rants (whether delivered via Twitter or in person, at one of his boisterous MAGA rallies), it's absolutely critical that America doesn't become so desensitized to Trump's inexcusable attacks on journalists that those attacks are allowed to go completely unchecked.
America has no first-hand experience with authoritarianism and because the general populace isn't predisposed to poring over the history books or otherwise studyin
‘Press freedom’ is a fine abstract concept, but the question always begged by the term is, ‘freedom from what, precisely?’
Clearly, this blog – and indeed many people throughout the world – want the press to be free of influence by Trump. This points to the unspoken underlying meaning of the expression: press freedom = freedom from government influence or control. Few would argue with that.
But how about freedom from the control of the elite elements of society that sit atop the vast majority of the people? That’s going to be hard to achieve when the mainstream media is owned by corporations and individuals that are very much a central part of the elite. Why is control of the press by government offensive whilst its control by elite interests who are themselves either deeply influential within the government infrastructure, or are striving to become so, is somehow not equally offensive? Do you really believe that proprietors and advertisers don’t drive content and, in so doing, undermine the foundations of truly independent investigative journalism – replacing it in many cases with purely partisan bidding?
The rot that has set into mainstream journalism in the United States and many other western ‘democracies’ – notably the United Kingdom and Germany – is not a new phenomenon, and cannot be blamed entirely on the current inadequate crop of politicians. Much of the blame lies with a phenomenon common throughout neoliberal capitalism: concentration of power, and the co-option by elite sectional interests of institutions fundamental to a functioning democracy.
There’s a major difference between government censorship and individual media bias.
Read where it all started with Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays.
The internet only increases freedom of the press, resulting in a cacophony of voices published.
DJT will only be footnote in 3 generations explaining the impeding great upheaval.
What is most astonishing is that during the previous administration the same group of people who wanted the “less government and
” the government out of their business” are seemingly just fine with being selectively spoon fed information. How is this any different than the Chinese controlling their countries “press”? If you take away the free press you are taking away peoples right to choose what information they consume and where they choose to consume it period. You can’t force people towards one viewpoint or the other. All those people who are all for this idea are forgetting that one day their “party” of choice will no longer be in office and they would be forced to consume another parties idea of “free press”. No thank you.
I find this article amazing. Everything that is mentioned in this article that is supposedly ‘evil’, was done in spades for the previous 8 year presidential term. If that isn’t obvious, then one should look inside ‘themselves’ for clarification of their perspective.
For decades the communists in this country have been laying down a foundation for ‘today’. One of their goals was to take over the press and spread propaganda. Done. Check. Now a president who shows by his accomplishments that we’re on the right track, and the Left wants to have him shot. No surprise.
Keep you the radical behavior and November will be a disaster for the Left. Good job…
If I am reading and understanding your comments correctly, then you are a racist commie PIG. #1, your specific use of the word “spades” and coupled with “the previous 8 year presidential term” did not go unnoticed.
You cannot in all seriousness compare these two men, President Obama and presidunce rump! Their names should not even be in the same sentence! Accomplishments?!!? LOL!
I don’t want to see him “shot” – I want to see him in handcuffs and behind bars for the rest of his reprehensible and miserable life. Radical will be when he is marched out of the Oval Office – a shamed disgraceful man.
And what’s with your sentence structure beginning with “Keep you the radical behavior…” does not sound like typical language used by Americans.