Trump’s First 100 Days Increase Fear for Press, Democracy
By The Committee to Protect Journalists
HAVANA TIMES – Press freedom is no longer a given in the United States 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know, a new report released today by The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has found.
The report, “Alarm bells: Trump’s first 100 days ramp up fear for the press, democracy,” noted that the administration has scaled up its rhetorical attacks and launched a startling number of actions using regulatory bodies and powerful allies that, taken together, may cause irreparable harm to press freedom in the U.S. and will likely take decades to repair. The level of trepidation among U.S. journalists is such that CPJ has provided more security training since the November election than at any other period.
“This is a definitive moment for U.S. media and the public’s right to be informed. CPJ is providing journalists with resources at record rates so they can report safely and without fear or favor, but we need everyone to understand that protecting the First Amendment is not a choice, it’s a necessity. All our freedoms depend on it,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
Emerging challenges to a free press in the United States fall under three main categories, according to CPJ:
❌The restriction of access for some news organizations;
❌The increasing use of government and regulatory bodies against news organizations;
❌Targeted attacks against journalists and newsrooms.
As the executive branch of the U.S. government is taking unprecedented steps to permanently undermine press freedom, CPJ is calling on the public, news organizations, civil society, and all branches, levels, and institutions of government – from municipalities to the U.S. Supreme Court – to safeguard press freedom to help secure the future of American democracy. In particular, Congress must prioritize passage of the PRESS Act and The Free Speech Protection Act, both bipartisan bills that can strengthen and protect press freedom throughout the United States.