A free press was one of the most important features of a republic in the eyes of the founders. It’s why press freedom gets a specific mention in the First Amendment.
“The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter,” said Thomas Jefferson in 1787. Benjamin Franklin likened the press to a “court” that could “judge, sentence, and condemn to infamy” the people it reports on.
Today (May 3), is one of those holidays that you probably never knew existed: World Press Freedom Day. Honoring the idea of freedom of the press sounds like a good and noble concept, especially when you think of the long history of totalitarian regimes where the press parroted the government’s line or where journalists faced imprisonment or death for telling the truth.
Instead, the entities promoting World Press Freedom Day are just playing make-believe with the notion of free expression. The United Nations is focusing this year’s commemoration on protecting journalists “in the face of the environmental crisis” — as if people writing about the environment are ripe for persecution. The UN is also giving lip service to protecting “the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of scientific research, and access to key sources of information, in addition to combating dis-/misinformation through journalism.”
Last year’s World Press Freedom Day proclamation from the State Department is even more laughable. “Far too many governments use repression to silence free expression, including through reprisals against journalists for simply doing their jobs,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, dripping with earnestness. Later, he added that “we rededicate ourselves to protecting press freedom at home and promoting it across the globe.”
The dark humor in those statements is that everybody knows that the notion of press freedom only goes so far for these people. We all know that the UN isn’t the least bit concerned about any journalists reporting the facts about the “environmental crisis.” We’re also painfully aware that Blinken and the rest of the Biden administration are only worried about the freedom of press outlets that promote the left’s talking points.
It’s almost unbelievable how the left gangs up to defend the narrative. White House officials meet with journalists to give them talking points or criticize their coverage. Press secretaries refuse to call on reporters who push back. The administration tried — and thankfully failed — to install a “Disinformation Governance Board.”
The collusion between the left and Big Tech is even more insidious. Google flags our articles on a regular basis, and social media makes it even more difficult for us to get the word out about our truthful reporting. It’s an uphill battle that we face every day.
The message on the newspaper in the featured image — “A FREE PRESS NEEDS YOU” —resonates with me. For us to have the freedom to report the truth without censorship and suppression and have loads of fun doing it, we need your support.
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