New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger has warned of a “quiet war” on press freedom as former President Donald Trump seeks a second term in the White House with a litany of negative rhetoric about the media.
Sulzberger said, An op-ed published in the Washington Post He noted on Thursday that threats to media independence in other countries are growing and argued that the United States may not be far behind as general elections approach.
The Times' publishers focused on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government's tight control over much of the country's media.
“The weakening of the press has made it easier for Trump to keep secrets, rewrite reality, undermine his political opponents, act with impunity, and ultimately consolidate unchecked power in ways that are worse for the country and the lives of its people,” Sulzberger wrote.
“For the past year, the New York Times, where I work,Act as publisher“We are bracing ourselves for a similar campaign against press freedom in the United States, despite our country's proud tradition of journalism playing a vital role in supporting a strong democracy and a free people,” he wrote. “This is not an outlandish question.”
Trump and his allies have signaled plans to step up their attacks on the media, Sulzberger wrote, citing the president's comments last year that “if I'm elected president of the United States, they [Comcast] and other news outlets of LameStream Media will be thoroughly investigated for knowingly dishonest and corrupt reporting about people, things and events.”
The comments came last fall when Trump threatened to investigate reporting by NBCUniversal, NBC News and Comcast, the parent company of MSNBC, if he was re-elected president, rehashing comments he made at the time calling the media “the enemy of the people.”
“If Trump follows through on his promise to continue his campaign for a second term, his efforts will be backed by his open admiration for the ruthless and effective tactics of autocrats like Orban, whom Trump recently met at Mar-a-Lago. And was praised “A smart, strong and compassionate leader,” Sulzberger wrote.
In preparation for that possibility, Sulzberger said he and his colleagues have been analyzing how press freedom is being threatened in Hungary. and other countriesinclude In India Brazil. He broke down the elements into a “playbook” of common situations in media crackdowns.
“It's only been eight years since Donald Trump popularized the phrase 'fake news' as a bludgeon to smear and attack journalism that challenged him,” Sulzberger said. “Those words from the US president were all the encouragement many would-be dictators needed. In the years that followed, some 70 countries on six continents enacted 'fake news' laws.”
Sulzberger argued that the tables have now turned, with Trump and his allies looking abroad to learn from the “anti-press techniques” of other leaders.
“Make no mistake: no American political leader enjoys media scrutiny or has a perfect record on press freedom. Every president since the nation's founding has complained about the annoying questions reporters ask in an effort to keep the public informed,” he wrote.
“But even with a flawed record, Republican and Democratic presidents, lawmakers, and legal scholars have consistently defended and expanded protections for journalists. In the United States over the past century, President Trump stands out for his aggressive and sustained efforts to undermine press freedom.”
He urged journalists to prepare themselves in case these predictions come true, saying they “must be prepared to continue to convey the truth to the public without fear or prejudice.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
