One of the first moves in every authoritarian dictator's playbook is to intimidate, suppress, and ultimately destroy the free press.And that's precisely what the Republicans are doing right now.
Legitimate journalists have been banished from the White House press corps. NPR and PBS have been defunded, with local stations nationwide on the edge of heavy cuts or closure. Trump's FCC has launched a wave of phony investigations into news outlets Trump doesn't like.
In the face of these attacks, too many corporate news outlets have submitted to MAGA control by paying fines, failing to endorse opposition political candidates, and editing stores in line with the MAGA propaganda.
The corporate press's main motive is profit not public service. Most journalists are no longer professionals bound to a code of ethics, but corporate actors who obey the preferences of their handlers or they are fired.
There is an important difference between propaganda and news. Can you tell the difference? As a nation, these skills of critical thinking are rapidly atrophying. What will nurture our democracy, and a high quality society is a return to the truth and a dismissal of what the MAGA folks call "alternative facts."
In these times, it is very important to support the independent media. Who are your favorites?
Reality doesn't care what you believe. A person can believe anything they want to. Remember beliefs contribute to behavior and behavior has consequences. Are the consequences human made or are they natural?
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