An assault on the free press is an assault on our Republic.
The Founding Fathers understood at the very beginning of our nation what a long shot it would be to allow people to govern themselves. That’s why the First Amendment, including its guarantee of freedom of the press, merited the top position when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.
The press is the firewall between massive government and political corruption and the people. In many other countries, like Russia, the authoritarian leader controls the press. In doing so, he writes the script, covers up the bad deeds, and governs through fear and intimidation.
But not in America. At least, not yet.
Freedom of the Press has experienced dark days before. Four decades ago, President Richard Nixon attempted to use the power of government against his “enemies” list. Fifty years earlier, Woodrow Wilson, during World War I, threatened widespread suppression of the press. Even Barack Obama, as I wrote about extensively in Front Row Seat at the Circus, undermined reporters’ rights to protect their sources as he fought to stop leaks.
But nothing compares to Donald Trump.
A president who relishes his reality TV past, waging a reckless campaign to brand journalists as “enemies of the people” and discredit as “fake news” anything that doesn’t make him look good.
This much is clear: Trump’s constant attacks on a free press are part of a concerted effort to undermine American constitutionalism and to move our Republic closer to the authoritarian movements he has been quick to praise all around the world.
Are we really your enemy?
Journalists from every corner of America, at newspapers, radio and television stations, large and small, work everyday to cover those in power. When a local politician is scamming the people, who gets the facts and helps put an end to it? Journalists. When a big corporation is intimidating consumers, who investigates and is the voice of the people? Journalists. When the nation heads to war, who is there on the front line keeping families informed as their son or daughter fights for our freedom? Journalists.
More than 2,500 journalists have been killed since 1990, Reporters everywhere are facing increased danger, especially in countries like Russia where you can be jailed, in many cases without trial, for just reporting facts.
Without journalists, our Republic collapses.
Jefferson knew it. So did Adams. And Kennedy. And Reagan.
But not Trump.
A recent poll indicates his political party is adopting his rhetoric. A majority of Republicans now say the media is the enemy of our nation.
How far removed that is from the words of conservative icon Ronald Reagan, who said during his presidency: “Since the founding of this nation, freedom of the press has been a fundamental tenet of American life.”
The first actions of a would-be dictator is to suppress the free press. Anyone who admires Vladimir Putin is someone who would love state control of his own actions and image.
When the First Amendment is challenged, every American should come running to its defense. This is not an issue of party, but patriotism.
When the free press falls, our Republic dies. We are all in this together.