As we've discussed before, while much of America seems to be existing in a national fascist "unreality" bubble engineered by the US right and fascist collaborators in corporate media, the view from outside the realm is clearer. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders is sounding the alarm in a report that indicates Trump's attempts to erode press freedoms are already succeeding.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-press-freedom-2025
Reporters Without Borders Sounds Alarm Over Trump Effort to 'Bring the Press Into Line'
"Trump was elected to a second term after a campaign in which he denigrated the press on a daily basis and made explicit threats to weaponize the federal government against the media," the report states.
"His early moves in his second mandate to politicize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ban The Associated Press from the White House, or dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, for example, have jeopardized the country's news outlets and indicate that he intends to follow through on his threats, setting up a potential crisis for American journalism," the publication continues, accusing Trump of using "false economic pretexts" to "bring the press into line."
As the article notes, the RSF report features a very granular look at press freedom in America that touches on crises that predate and exist independently from Trump; although there's no question his assaults on the media are exacerbating those problems. It examines subjects like the lack of public trust in media, the lack of financial support for actual journalism, and the disintegration of local news in the United States. With that noted however, RSF makes it abundantly clear that rhetorical attacks from a primarily right wing (fascist) political class have created an environment of intimidation and danger for journalists in America.
"Politicians' open disdain for the media has trickled down to the public," RSF added. "Journalists reporting on the ground can face harassment, intimidation, and assault while working. When covering demonstrations, journalists are sometimes attacked and physically assaulted by protestors or wrongfully arrested by police. According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, there were 49 journalist arrests in 2024 compared to only 15 in 2023. The last journalist to be killed in the course of his work was Dylan Lyons in February of 2023."
These alarming comments about the rapid decline of American press freedom are part of a larger Reporters Without Borders global report noting that freedom of the press is in trouble on a planetary scale as well. But RSF isn't the only watchdog organization raising the alarm about the United States. The Committee to Protect Journalists has also released a highly critical report examining Trump's first one hundred days in office, in advance of World Press Freedom Day.
"On Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published a report on Trump's first 100 days in office, which the group said were "marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms."
"From denying access to upending respect for the independence of a free press to vilifying news organizations to threatening reprisals, this administration has begun to exert its power to punish or reward based on coverage," CPJ said. "Whether in the states or on the streets, this behavior is setting a new standard for how the public can treat journalists."
Frankly folks I don't have a ton to add here; while modern American society seems to hold a great deal of contempt for watchdog organizations that track extractivist plundering, wealth inequality, freedom of the press, and democratic rights, the fact that you're not going to hear about these kind of things on the evening news is why publicizing these reports is so important. Having well-research data and international observers to confirm our arguments that the Trump regime is trying to stop even what passes for our media from reporting negatively on their fascist activities is an important part of making folks who aren't paying enough attention accept that those arguments are based in an increasingly disturbing reality. If you want people to band together and stop a fascist takeover, they have to be aware its happening and the work of organizations like RSF and CPJ help us make each other aware of the severity of the problem.
#Fascism #Trump #Media #Propaganda #RSF#FreeSpeech #ReportersWithoutBorders #GOP #Censorship #StateMedia #FreedomOfThePress #CPJ #WPFD2025
