U.S. news leaders sound alarm on press freedom
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
The heads of major news organizations are speaking out about the risk to press freedoms in the U.S. amid significant backslides in other democracies.
Why it matters: Once considered a global leader for free expression, U.S. press freedoms have hit a historic low.
Driving the news: The New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger penned a rare opinion piece for The Washington Post Thursday warning that the undermining of press freedoms in democratic nations like Hungary and Brazil serves as an important reminder of what's at stake in the U.S. this election.
- "Over the past century in the United States, Trump stands out for his aggressive and sustained efforts to undermine the free press," Sulzberger wrote.
- "I hope our nation, with protections for a free press explicitly enshrined in the First Amendment, will maintain its distinctively open path, regardless of the outcome of this election or any other."
Zoom out: In printing his essay in The Post, Sulzberger sent a broader message about the power of news companies in tackling these issues with a united front.
- "I'm grateful to The Post for running it, especially given the length. It's just another example of how The Post, in addition to being an esteemed competitor, has long been one of our closest partners on matters of press freedom. These challenges cannot be solved by one institution," Sulzberger wrote in a note to staff.
Between the lines: For many years following the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the Post and its former CEO Fred Ryan served as the face of the U.S. press freedom fight.
- More recently, Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour stepped into that role.
- "It's been heartening to see the global news industry come together around Evan," Latour said in an interview with Axios shortly after the historic release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich from Russia last month. "And putting this hugely important topic of press freedom on the map in ways that haven't happened as of late — not on that scale."
What to watch: Years-long efforts by autocrats to undermine the free press in places like Hungary, Turkey and Russia have given cover to democratic leaders in places like India, Israel, Brazil and Guatemala looking to do the same.
- Speaking of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Sulzberger noted, "Though much of the damage he caused to democratic traditions has been reversed, the norms around the free press and free expression remain weakened."
