Press Freedom in US Undermined by Trump Administration

[Rogue Valley]

Opinion: Press Freedom in US Undermined by Trump Administration

Observations from an international analyst

www.kyivpost.com

8.3.25
In the 2025 Press Freedom Index of Reporters without Borders, the US ranks 57! Below all EU countries apart from Trump’s favorite Hungary (#68). This situation has seriously deteriorated under Trump. For how long will the US remain a free country? Extreme rightwing media - Fox News & Newsmax etc. - have established a captive world of lies. By suing ABC & CBS for no good reason but extracting millions $ & subordinating them, Trump has undermined the credibility also of other US TV news. The owners of the Washington Post & the LAT gave up to Trump last year. Oddly, the last soldier standing is Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal. I suspect news seekers will have to migrate in two directions: YouTube et al & foreign news.

Never before attempted by a US president, Donald Trump is extorting companies via a highly weaponized Departmkent of Justice headed by Trump sychophant Pam Bondi. The traditional "firewall" between the DoJ and the WH no longer exists.

Trump orders Bondi to open a formal investigation or file a federal lawsuit against any media entity, judge, organization, or individual who crosses Trump in any manner. This methodology is also being employed against universities (e.g. Harvard, Columbia, USC, etc).

Anders Åslund is a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.

 

[Loulit01]

Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. Mark Zuckerberg owns Meta (Facebook, Instagram). Elon Musk owns X/Twitter. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong owns the L.A. Times. Rupert Murdoch owns FoxNews/Pravda. Our largest Spanish programming company, Univision, is owned by Searchlight Capital Partners, ForgeLight, and Liberty Global.

Our media is what billionaires say it is. Billionaires love Trump.

 

[gman]

Freedom of the Press has been destroyed by the press. The recent revelations brought to light have revealed what John Q. Public has known for many years that the press is responsible for killing the goose who laid the golden egg. The deliberate deep sixing of Biden’s decline and his son’s shenanigans are just a few examples of selective reporting to sway public opinion. Now, DJT has gone to the other extreme. Maybe some day we’ll have true, honest, freedom of the press.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Freedom of the Press has been destroyed by the press. The recent revelations brought to light have revealed what John Q. Public has known for many years that the press is responsible for killing the goose who laid the golden egg. The deliberate deep sixing of Biden’s decline and his son’s shenanigans are just a few examples of selective reporting to sway public opinion. Now, DJT has gone to the other extreme. Maybe some day we’ll have true, honest, freedom of the press.

Biden's failing health is nothing compared to the ongoing corruption by the Trump administration, who have made selling access to the president (literally) their main focus.

And Trump's extortion of law firms, universities, businesses, and individuals.

 

[gman]

Biden's failing health is nothing compared to the ongoing corruption by the Trump administration, who have made selling access to the president (literally) their main focus.

And Trump's extortion of law firms, universities, businesses, and individuals.

It’s all a matter of perspective.

 

[Peacenik]

Opinion: Press Freedom in US Undermined by Trump Administration

Observations from an international analyst

www.kyivpost.com

Never before attempted by a US president, Donald Trump is extorting companies via a highly weaponized Departmkent of Justice headed by Trump sychophant Pam Bondi. The traditional "firewall" between the DoJ and the WH no longer exists.

Trump orders Bondi to open a formal investigation or file a federal lawsuit against any media entity, judge, organization, or individual who crosses Trump in any manner. This methodology is also being employed against universities (e.g. Harvard, Columbia, USC, etc).

Anders Åslund is a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.

Maga doesn't want to talk about it. We liberals may comment on it, but this thread won't be a big debate. Maga is too busy looking the other way and stoking their denial of the destruction of freedom in America.

75% of reporters have lost their jobs in the last 20 years.

Our 4th Estate has been decimated by big money and greed.

Those lusting for power are complicit with the elected criminal leader of our nation taking us on the road to fascism..

America is in trouble.

 

[Peacenik]

Freedom of the Press has been destroyed by the press. The recent revelations brought to light have revealed what John Q. Public has known for many years that the press is responsible for killing the goose who laid the golden egg. The deliberate deep sixing of Biden’s decline and his son’s shenanigans are just a few examples of selective reporting to sway public opinion. Now, DJT has gone to the other extreme. Maybe some day we’ll have true, honest, freedom of the press.

Big money corruption did that.

We must fight corruption in our government to save America.

 

[Peacenik]

It’s all a matter of perspective.

It is a matter of losing our great nation right before our very eyes if we don't act.

 

[gman]

It is a matter of losing our great nation right before our very eyes if we don't act.

The press is just as much responsible for their own demise.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

Maga doesn't want to talk about it. We liberals may comment on it, but this thread won't be a big debate. Maga is too busy looking the other way and stoking their denial of the destruction of freedom in America.

75% of reporters have lost their jobs in the last 20 years.

Our 4th Estate has been decimated by big money and greed.

Those lusting for power are complicit with the elected criminal leader of our nation taking us on the road to fascism..

America is in trouble.

The press was decimated because technology changed and they didn't. Advertisers stopped advertising because the online tools are more effective. People still won't generally pay for news, although a few have had some success.

It appears as though the billionaires you hate are the ones who are willing to accept the losses while they try to people to pay for what their news sources produce.

Strange you wouldn't list this significant factor in your diatribe.

 

[Peacenik]

The press is just as much responsible for their own demise.

How so? Most reporters have been fired as big money bought up the press during the last 20 years. Big money bought our government and it bought the press. Do you deny these facts?

Big money is our problem. The left and the right are being played against one another to distract the public from the fact that big money now controls both our government and the press. Partisanship obsession is just what big money wants. That way we are distracted from the real issue.

 

[Peacenik]

The press was decimated because technology changed and they didn't. Advertisers stopped advertising because the online tools are more effective. People still won't generally pay for news, although a few have had some success.

It appears as though the billionaires you hate are the ones who are willing to accept the losses while they try to people to pay for what their news sources produce.

Strange you wouldn't list this significant factor in your diatribe.

I never said I hate billionaires, and I do not; but going after me personally is a rather obvious capitulation. An ad hominem attack is like waving the white flag while losing the argument, and trying to shift the focus onto manufactured 'deficiencies' of the other. Kind of like overturning the game board because of losing. It is childish and immature.

The press has been decimated because it got bought out by the rich. Tech changes have provided other sources of information, yes, but those sources are not always credible nor do they have the long standing reputation of the well vetted main stream news where it isn't forced to be subservient to a political leaning because of prioritizing lust for ratings over credibility. The press was being decimated by big money long before the tech changes had any effect. Boom. There goes the 'tech changes' nonsense argument down the toilet.

Flushed and gone.

Running defense for billionaires is like admitting that billionaires should control everything; like admitting that the very principles of representative government laid down in our Constitution are bogus, that the power of the people should be subservient to wealth. It stinks a putrid anti-freedom smell. It is a direct attack on our Constitution and upon the United States of America. It is not only not patriotic, it is treasonous. I implore anyone following that nonsense anti-American zealot reasoning to wake up and support American freedom.

Alexander Hamilton warned us about people like Trump and movements like maga which will destroy our nation. They wrap themselves in the flag and cry danger to liberty as they support it's very demise. They follow the latest nonsense zealots of the day, throw everything into confusion that they may ride the whirlwind and pump up their xenophobia in anti immigrant foolishness. Immigrants built this country. They united a divided America! There would have been no Transcontinental Railroad without immigrants. Only fools disdain them.

Immigrants and diversity are what makes America great. Ronald Reagan said so. He was correct. Listen to his words:

Are you a Reagan type conservative, or a Maga type conservative?​

 

[AliHajiSheik]

I never said I hate billionaires, and I do not; but going after me personally is a rather obvious capitulation. An ad hominem attack is like waving the white flag while losing the argument, and trying to shift the focus onto manufactured 'deficiencies' of the other. Kind of like overturning the game board because of losing. It is childish and immature.

The press has been decimated because it got bought out by the rich. Tech changes have provided other sources of information, yes, but those sources are not always credible nor do they have the long standing reputation of the well vetted main stream news where it isn't forced to be subservient to a political leaning because of prioritizing lust for ratings over credibility. The press was being decimated by big money long before the tech changes had any effect. Boom. There goes the 'tech changes' nonsense argument down the toilet.

Flushed and gone.

Running defense for billionaires is like admitting that billionaires should control everything; like admitting that the very principles of representative government laid down in our Constitution are bogus, that the power of the people should be subservient to wealth. It stinks a putrid anti-freedom smell. It is a direct attack on our Constitution and upon the United States of America. It is not only not patriotic, it is treasonous. I implore anyone following that nonsense anti-American zealot reasoning to wake up and support American freedom.

Alexander Hamilton warned us about people like Trump and movements like maga which will destroy our nation. They wrap themselves in the flag and cry danger to liberty as they support it's very demise. They follow the latest nonsense zealots of the day, throw everything into confusion that they may ride the whirlwind and pump up their xenophobia in anti immigrant foolishness. Immigrants built this country. They united a divided America! There would have been no Transcontinental Railroad without immigrants. Only fools disdain them.

Immigrants and diversity are what makes America great. Ronald Reagan said so. He was correct. Listen to his words:

Are you a Reagan type conservative, or a Maga type conservative?​

I apologize, but could you share which word I used that triggered your wall of text? Was it "billionaires you hate" or "significant factor in your diatribe"

 

[Peacenik]

I apologize, but could you share which word I used that triggered your wall of text? Was it "billionaires you hate" or "significant factor in your diatribe"

Thank you. Going after people instead of their argument is an automatic loser.

An unwillingness to be moved by our Constitution in peril, to dismiss the very concern as if unimportant, is troubling for our country.

The loss of a free press was most certainly caused by big money.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

Thank you. Going after people instead of their argument is an automatic loser.

An unwillingness to be moved by our Constitution in peril, to dismiss the very concern as if unimportant, is troubling for our country.

The loss of a free press was most certainly caused by big money.

I don't see that I went after you, that's why I asked the questions you didn't answer--so I could understand what you perceived.

 

[Roadvirus]

Freedom of the Press has been destroyed by the press. The recent revelations brought to light have revealed what John Q. Public has known for many years that the press is responsible for killing the goose who laid the golden egg. The deliberate deep sixing of Biden’s decline and his son’s shenanigans are just a few examples of selective reporting to sway public opinion. Now, DJT has gone to the other extreme. Maybe some day we’ll have true, honest, freedom of the press.

That screws their credibility and reliability.

We're talking about Trump undermining the rights of the media in the United States.

 

[ColdHardTruth]

Opinion: Press Freedom in US Undermined by Trump Administration

Observations from an international analyst

www.kyivpost.com

Never before attempted by a US president, Donald Trump is extorting companies via a highly weaponized Departmkent of Justice headed by Trump sychophant Pam Bondi. The traditional "firewall" between the DoJ and the WH no longer exists.

Dumpletits is a dictator. Did you expect anything less?

Trump orders Bondi to open a formal investigation or file a federal lawsuit against any media entity, judge, organization, or individual who crosses Trump in any manner. This methodology is also being employed against universities (e.g. Harvard, Columbia, USC, etc).

This is corruption under the color of law for Trump and for Bondi.

At the very least, Bondi will wind up disbarred.

Anders Åslund is a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.