Whose Fake News

The freedom of the press is under attack in this country. Trump is always undervaluing the legitimacy and the value of the media. Trump calls the press the enemy of the people. An independent and unrestricted press is the bedrock of a free democratic society. A true and legitimate publication would never write any story without a list of sources that were researched first. A dictator just wants published his views. Reporters get Pulitzer Prizes for their expert reports. Dictators want to control the narrative. Today we are in a cultural civil war in this country. Trump complains that so much of the media is in favor of his opposition party. Trump said about the press, “Absolute  dishonest, scum.”

President Nixon who resigned tried to make the conduct of the press the issue instead of the conduct of the President and his men. Trump is doing the same thing only in a much cruder way. Nixon said, “The press is the enemy.” Trump says that too. The state of press freedom globally is under attack too. Those who hold power now are increasingly authoritarian. In 2015 Egypt jailed a record number of Journalists. ISIS beheaded the journalists first then others. Turkey’s free press is withering as Erdogan Jails 120 journalists. Rodrigo Duterte the President of the Philippians endorses the killing of journalists that don’t write something nice about him. Journalists imprisoned worldwide is increasing every year. The dictators are desperate to stay in power and nothing will stop them especially the truth.

The Philippians now is the single most dangerous place to be in the world followed by Iraq and Syria. Duterte says, “Just because you are a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination. Free speech will not save you.” He is killing people in the streets suspected of doing or selling drugs and is attacking reporters who dare to take pictures and report the deaths. No judge or jury. Since Duterte took office in 2016 about 9,000 people have been murdered without a trial by the police. There is no one to investigate the killings but journalists whose lives are also in danger for simply doing their job. Reporting the truth.

At crime scenes the police accounts are very different from witnesses. Often a dead person doesn’t have a gun but then when the police investigate there is a gun on the dead body. The police then say they had to shoot in self- defense. Telling whatever story they want to make up is more important than the truth. Trump does it often. He said Obama wiretapped his home. Not true. Trump said he doesn’t have any dealings with Russia. Not true to name a few of Trump’s fake news.

In 2009 32 reporters were killed at once in the Philippians. Now journalists are afraid to report most stories for fear of their own lives so they self-censor their stories. No one should be killed because of the work they do. Since 1986 154 journalists have been killed there.  Journalists are the bravest of souls because they will go to dangerous places just to write the truth for us all. America’s truth is in danger when Trump has meetings with Russian leaders, throws out the American press and lets the Russian press be present at the meeting. Support your news media who have been in business for many many years for your protection.