“Is There a Murrow in the House?
Edward R. Murrow exemplified a free press unbowed by autocracy—and if American democracy is to survive, we need his like again”
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/is-there-a-murrow-in-the-house
Trump's attack on the media continues.
"In an executive order signed on Friday, President Donald Trump outlined seven federal agencies to be reduced in size, including the United States Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America. The reduction was made to agencies Trump saw as "unnecessary," the order states.
"President Trump is delivering on his promise to make our government more efficient," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told USA TODAY on Saturday. "American taxpayers should not be funding anti-American propaganda in the name of journalism."
The President of Radio Free Asia posted this statement on the RFA website, presumably before the staff were locked out
"The termination of RFA’s grant is a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked in the information space."
Voice of America and its networks, including Radio Free Asia, have been shut down. 1,300 staff are on indefinite leave
These organisations do important work providing news to countries where there is no free media
NPR's Fresh Air just broadcast an absolutely infuriating interview about the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education: <https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5325731/what-trumps-cuts-to-the-department-of-education-mean-for-schools-and-students>
This is the message I just sent Fresh Air and NPR's Public Editor about it.
If you care about the future of our democracy you may wish to send feedback as well. Fresh Air: <https://help.npr.org/contact/s/contact?request=Contact-an-NPR-show-or-podcast&show=Fresh%20Air>, Public Editor: <https://help.npr.org/contact/s/contact?request=Ask-the-Public-Editor-about-ethics>
#politics #USPol #NPR #journalism
"At least nine people, including three journalists, have been killed and several others wounded in an Israeli drone attack on Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, according to Palestinian media."
@palestine #Palestine #Israel #Gaza #journalism #media #press
Raúl Irán Villarreal Belmont was killed yesterday in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, becoming the fifth journalist killed in Mexico so far this year.
"The director of the media 'Observatorio Ciudadano' was kidnapped and found dead with signs of violence. His work denouncing corruption and local government had made him an uncomfortable figure in San Luis de la Paz."
Some #Republicans have accused #VOA & other publicly-funded #media outlets of being biased against *conservatives* [liars, criminals & extremists]. Last month, billionaire #ElonMusk, who is spearheading #Trump's government *downsizing* [destruction] effort, called for VOA & #RadioFreeEurope / #RadioLiberty to be shut down in a post to social media.
The Paris-based #ReportersWithoutBorders also blasted the move, w/its director general, Thibaut Bruttin, saying that it "threatens press freedom worldwide & negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of #information."
The president of the #NationalPressClub in Washington, Mike Balsamo, released a statement on social media objecting to the moves at #VOA.
"For decades, #VoiceOfAmerica has delivered fact-based, independent #journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist," Balsamo said.
The decision, he said, "undermines America's commitment to a free & independent press."
On its website, #RadioFreeEurope / #RadioLiberty notes that it has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian govt & warns readers in #Russia & Russia-occupied #Ukraine that they could "face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us."
The #USAGM also terminated funding for #RadioFreeEurope / #RadioLiberty, which broadcasts to countries in #EasternEurope, including #Russia & #Ukraine, as well as for #RadioFreeAsia, which broadcasts to #China & #NorthKorea, acc/to letters seen by Reuters.
Multiple workers at #VoiceOfAmerica, an international #media broadcaster that operates in >40 languages, shared w/Reuters an email that placed them on administrative leave w/full pay & benefits "until otherwise notified."
The emails, sent by a HR executive at the #US Agency for Global Media, the #VOA's parent agency, instructed them not to enter their work premises or access internal systems.
Employees at #VoiceOfAmerica were placed on paid leave on Saturday & funding for 2 US #news services that broadcast to #authoritarian regimes was slashed, one day after #Trump signed an #ExecutiveOrder gutting the govt-funded #media outlets' parent & 6 other #FederalAgencies.
#VOA #FourthEstate #FreePress #journalism #censorship #propaganda #trumpaganda
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-agencies-2025-03-15/
How Western Media Manufactures Consent for Repression and War, w/ Assal Rad
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rCzPm6xUTZQ
#warcrimes
#Gaza
#Palestine
#Syria
#iran
#lebanon
#Genocide
#geopolitics
@palestine@a.gup.pe
@palestine@lemmygrad.ml
@lebanon @yemen @irannachrichten #SettlerColonialism
#AntiImperialism
#antiPalestinianracism
#tiktok
#cdnpoli
#journalism
#media
#press
#eu
#uk
#france
#canada
#usa
#ireland
#china
#russia
@blackvoices
@blackmastodon
@BLKNewsNow
@UnicornRiot
@politics
#politics
As good as journalism gets in America, well worth visiting, following, donating, and watch for jobs too.
Trump adopted the Russian double standard: he was permitted to lie all the time, but any minor error by a journalist discredited the entire profession of journalism. … He referred to them as an “enemy of the American people” and claimed that what they produced was “fake news.” Trump was proud of both of these formulations, although both were Russian.
—Timothy Snyder, The Road To Unfreedom (2018)
#trump #russia #journalism #journalists
"AI models incorrectly answered more than 60 percent of queries about news sources."
"Perplexity provided incorrect information in 37 percent of the queries tested, whereas ChatGPT Search incorrectly identified 67 percent (134 out of 200) of articles queried. Grok 3 demonstrated the highest error rate, at 94 percent."
#journalism @Bellingcat is looking for #wildlife and #environment -related pitches for open, data-based stories and investigations.
I'm saving a ton of money over the last year. Here's my secret:
-Cancelled NYT subscription
-Cancelled WaPo subscription
-Cancelled Amazon Prime
-Cancelled Spotify
Turns out I'm saving money and also giving my more directly to smaller businesses, true journalists, and artists.
Really not that hard, people.
