The New York Times Conveniently Forgets the Real Stakes of Attacks on Free Speech
The paper published a long recounting of Trump’s attacks on the press, without ever mentioning Israel, Gaza, or ICE. The post The New York Times Conveniently Forgets the Real Stakes of Attacks on Free Speech appeared first on The Intercept .
The New York Times recently published a detailed report on President Donald Trump's campaign against the American press. This includes FBI agents at reporters' homes, subpoenas for journalists' records, Pentagon restrictions, regulatory pressure on networks, numerous lawsuits, and a politicized Federal Communications Commission.
The article emphasizes that while Trump has indeed weaponized government agencies and private litigation against news organizations, the threat to free speech extends beyond journalism. The American press has begun conflating press freedom with the conditions under which the press has become accustomed. This is a critical distinction, as free speech was never free.
It was fought for, sometimes at great personal cost. The article cites Ida B. Wells, a Black journalist who faced mob violence and the destruction of her newspaper for investigating and exposing racial injustice. Despite the challenges, Wells continued her work from the North. The article also highlights the ongoing violence faced by journalists in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes have killed nearly 300 journalists, more than in any other conflict since world wars, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan combined.
The New York Times has been criticized for its role in justifying this ongoing death and destruction by policing the language used to discuss it. The article underscores the need to focus on winning, and most importantly, for who.
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