The New York Times has published a comprehensive examination of Donald Trump’s attempts to stifle freedom of speech and of the press. Written by Jim Rutenberg and Maggie Haberman, it’s cast as a “news analysis” so they can offer some judgments. I’m guessing that it will be on the front page of the Sunday print edition.
There’s nothing in the story that hasn’t been previously reported, but it’s all here — from Trump’s bogus lawsuits against ABC and CBS to his Justice Department’s failed attempt to subpoena Times reporters; from an FBI raid on the home of a Washington Post reporter to FCC chair Brendan Carr’s threats against broadcast networks. Rutenberg and Haberman write:
Almost 20 months into Mr. Trump’s second term, his long-running media clashes have grown into a sweeping campaign to control speech in America that stands out for applying so many levers, so fast, all at once.
Although First Amendment protections remain reasonably strong, there are soft spots, and Trump is exploiting them. For instance, the right of journalists to protect confidential sources is extremely limited, especially in the federal courts, and hauling reporters into court sends a message. It’s nearly impossible to win a frivolous libel suit, but Trump has used such suits to extract settlements from media corporations that need favors. Broadcast may be in its death throes, but it remains the one part of the media that is subject to government regulation, thus opening it up to Carr’s depredations.
The Times roundup is a must-read for anyone who cares about the role of a free and independent press in a democratic society. And know this: If Democrats take back one or both branches of Congress this November, Trump’s behavior is only going to become more unhinged and authoritarian.
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Better to keep in mind the familiar adage “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” Better yet, Pulitzer Prize winner and former NYT reporter and Middle East Bureau chief Chris Hedges has cautioned that “Trump isn’t the disease, he’s the symptom.” Connect a few dots: Hedges resigned from the NYT in 2005 rather than countenance reprimand for his public opposition to the Iraq War; Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice at al. and Judith Miller of the NYT and WMD; “Revealed: The Israeli Spies Writing America’s News” https://www.mintpressnews.com/revealed-israel-unit-8200-spies-american-media/288457/; of course, the overarching Herman and Chomsky’s “Manufacturing Consent.” Don’t just treat the symptom.
Ah, yes, Jeffrey Epstein pal Noam Chomsky. He is a horrible media critic, building his entire reputation as a media critic by guessing what goes on in newsrooms. There are people who actually know what they’re talking about who also managed to incorporate some of Chomsky’s ideas; the best of them was probably my friend the late Danny Schechter.