Press Freedom

Journalists Will Be Muzzled?

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Article in The Columbia Journalism Review by Kyle Paolette, 11/22/25

Headline:  “A New Normal”

Subhead:  “If Donald Trump returns to the White House, the Espionage Act offers a clear path for him to stifle press freedom.”

“It’s the summer of 2025, and the home screen of every major news outlet bears the same image: a journalist being escorted by a cloud of black suits across a brick plaza to a hearing at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. She is the first American reporter ever to be charged under the Espionage Act.”

“. . .Since the eighties, the Espionage Act has served as the primary means of prosecuting government employees for disclosing confidential information. This century, the threat has grown significantly. During the George W. Bush administration, Judith Miller—a Times reporter whose coverage of the Iraq War drew upon what turned out to have been fabricated intelligence—was jailed for refusing to reveal a source being investigated under the Espionage Act. . . .”

https://www.cjr.org/covering_the_election/new-normal-paoletta-trump-espionage-act-project-2025-prosecute-enemies.php

Gotta Catch ’em All (Media that is)

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Article in Daily Kos by Mark Sumner, 11/28/24

Headline:  “Media capture is no joke”

“For the past week, Elon Musk has repeatedly commented about buying MSNBC. At the same time, Musk accused the news outlet of peddling “puerile propaganda” and derided MSNBC’s ratings, which have—as might be expected—dropped since the election. The result has been a string of comments on Twitter and Fox News in which Trump supporters chortle over the thought of replacing Rachel Maddow with Joe Rogan and exult in the distress they believe Musk’s comments must be generating on the left.

“Many of Musk’s “jokes,” and those of toadies like Rogan, have been accompanied by the kind of homophobic, racist, or misogynist memes that have come to dominate Twitter since Musk laid down $44 billion to destroy that platform. But even as Musk and his social media pals laugh, no one should consider this a farce. It’s a threat. . . ”

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/11/28/2289221/-Media-capture-is-no-joke?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

Revenge Against Media Coming

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Article in The New Republic by Greg Sargent, 11/27/24

Headline:  “Trump’s Eruption of Rage at NYT Offers Unnerving Hint of What’s Coming”

Subhead:  “As Trump rants at the Times after coverage of his creepy young aide, former Times public editor Margaret Sullivan reflects on what his press crackdown may look like—and how the media can respond.”

“This week, Donald Trump erupted in fury at The New York Times. He appeared triggered by a story about an aide named Natalie Harp, who serves as his gatekeeper with creepy levels of devotion. What caught our eye is that in his rant, Trump demanded that the Times show obeisance to him because he won the election, perhaps providing an early glimpse of how he will seek to cow the media into submission. We talked to Margaret Sullivan, the former Times public editor and author of the great Substack American Crisis, who explains what Trump’s crackdown on the press might look like—and how well the media will respond to it. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is . . .” – in the link below:

https://newrepublic.com/article/188857/trumps-eruption-rage-nyt-offers-unnerving-hint-whats-coming

Turkey and Press Freedom

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Photo form CPJ

Article in Committee to Project Journalists by Staff, 11/27/24

Headline:  “Turkish authorities should stop treating journalists like terrorists by raiding their homes and detaining them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.”

” ‘Turkish authorities once more raided the homes of multiple journalists in the middle of the night, in order to portray them as dangerous criminals, and detained them without offering any justification. CPJ has monitored similar secretive operations in the past decade, and not one journalist has been proven to be involved with actual terrorism,’ said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. ‘The authorities should immediately release the journalists in custody and stop this systematic harassment of the media.’ ”

https://cpj.org/2024/11/police-detained-multiple-journalists-in-house-raids-across-turkey/

 

Precedent for Arresting Reporters?

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Article in The Guardian by Paul Karp, 11/126/24

Headline:  “US lawmakers urge Biden to pardon Assange to send ‘clear message’ on media freedom”

Subhea:  “Exclusive: James McGovern and Thomas Massie warn US president they are ‘deeply concerned’ the WikiLeaks founder’s plea deal sets worrying precedent”

“President Joe Biden has been urged to pardon Julian Assange by two US congressmen who warn they are ‘deeply concerned’ the WikiLeaks founder’s guilty plea deal sets a precedent for prosecuting journalists and whistleblowers with espionage offences.”

“. . . ‘ “Put simply, there is a long-standing and well-grounded concern that section 793 [of the Espionage Act], which criminalizes the obtaining, retaining, or disclosing of sensitive information, could be used against journalists and news organizations engaged in their normal activities, particularly those who cover national security topics.’ ”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/27/joe-biden-urged-to-pardon-julian-assange-congressmen-letter

Will Media Approach “Truth Social”?

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Jem Baertholomew, 11/25/24

Headline:  “Truth Social and Consequences”

Subhead:  “The political press gears up for an unprecedented story: the social media executive in chief.”

“. . .Trump’s post—or “re-truth,” to use the platform’s lingo—flashed a signal to journalists now entering uncharted territory, as they cover a president-elect who owns a controlling stake in a social media company. Truth Social’s parent . . .  launched its platform in 2022, after Trump’s encouragement of the Capitol insurrection prompted mainstream social media—Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.—to kick him off. ”

“. . . How seriously journalists should take his 4am posts is another question. “When he became a candidate, it became a more important tool,” Tara Palmeri, senior political correspondent for Puck, told me. “Truth Social is going to remain relevant as long as Trump is around, as much as we might want to turn a blind eye to it,” Sarah Jones, senior writer covering politics for New York’s Intelligencer, said. “I do think it’s worth paying attention to and following

https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/truth-social-trump-media-how-important-stocks-shares-announcements.php

Journalists of Valor Rewarded

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CPJ photo

Article by Citizens to Protect Journalists by Staff, 11.22.24

Headline: “CPJ recognizes fearless journalists at 2024 International Press Freedom Awards”

Subhead:  “Press freedom gala, hosted by John Oliver, honors journalists from four continents”

“The 2024 awardees were all honored for their courage in reporting on their communities while experiencing war, prison, government crackdowns, and increasing efforts to criminalize their work.

This year’s awardees were: Shrouq Al Aila, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza and director of Ain Media; Quimy de León, a Guatemalan journalist and co-founder of Prensa Comunitaria; Samira Sabou; one of Niger’s most prominent investigative journalists, and Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S.-Russian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist and editor jailed by Russia in 2023.”

https://cpj.org/2024/11/cpj-recognizes-fearless-journalists-at-2024-international-press-freedom-awards/

 

 

Is Banning Internet Speech “Censorship”

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Article in AP by Staff 11/24/24

Headline:  “Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship”

Subhead:  “In Australia legislation to regulate Internet content failed.”

“The bill would have granted the Australian Communications and Media Authority power over digital platforms by approving an enforceable code of conduct or standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short.”

“This bill would have had the effect of suppressing the free speech of everyday Australians, as platforms would have censored online content to avoid the threat of big fines,” Coleman said said in a statement.

https://apnews.com/article/australia-misinformation-bill-tech-1625518609bcc407c63c9934b6a2a848

Internet and Right-Wing Media

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Article in Axios by Shannon Vavra, Sara Fischer, 11/23/24

Headline: “The recent explosion of right-wing news sites”

“Axios mapped the launch date of 89 news websites over the past quarter century. The data shows there has been an explosion of right-leaning news sites, coinciding with the rise of the Tea Party and alt-right movements beginning in 2010. Many of these sites, in turn, were instrumental in spreading pro-Trump news during the 2016 elections”

“Why it matters: According to experts, digital technology has made it easier to exploit the political divisions that have always existed. . . .’The technological, regulatory, and media space has shifted into one in which this is profitable, and profit is the driving force.’ ”

https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/the-recent-explosion-of-right-wing-news-sites-1513300575

Prediction for US Journalists from Nation of Georgia?

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Article in Citizens to Protect Journalism by Staff 11/20/24

Headline:  “Georgian police obstruct, detain journalists covering election protests”

“Local rights groups recorded at least four incidents of police assaulting or obstructing journalists covering a November 19 election protest in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

“Georgian opposition parties have alleged fraud and are protesting the results of the October 26 parliamentary election, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was declared winner.”

https://cpj.org/2024/11/georgian-police-obstruct-detain-journalists-covering-election-protests/