If I believed America had a free press, I would agree with the thoughts of Dr. Colman. When you have CNN still claiming there was an insurrection on January 6—when the only person killed was an UNARMED WHITE WOMAN, by a cop that was NEVER investigated. When the press cheers that an election denier—Hillary Clinton who STILL claims the 2016 election was a fraud—and a Catholic President gives the Presidential Award to a mass murderer, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood—who has a mission to kill babies, the press is not muzzled.
The press lied about Russia, Russia. They lied about Hunters laptop. They covered up a demented man with his finger of the red button in the white House. Muzzled? Yes, the truth and the American people were muzzled by government and the media.
THE TYRRANY OF MUZZLING AMERICA’S FREE PRESS
By Richard Colman, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 1/6/25 www.capoliticalnewsandviews.com
Thomas Jefferson, in 1787, concluded that if he had to choose between “. . . a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
The incoming Donald Trump administration sees matters differently from Jefferson.
Jefferson won the 1800 election and became America’s third president.
On Dec. 14, 2024, ABC News, in response to a lawsuit by Trump, agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library and, according to Newsweek, “issue a public apology in order to settle a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos during a broadcast earlier this year.”
In addition, ABC News offered Trump $1 million to cover Trump’s legal expenses.
ABC News -– as well as ABC (the American Broadcasting Company) itself — is owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Robert Iger, the chief executive of Disney, agreed with the multi-million-dollar settlement.
On Dec. 16, 2024, Trump filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register That suit included not just the Register itself but also the Gannett Co. Inc., the owner of the Register.
The suit also included Ann Selzer, a pollster who claimed that Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, showed, before the Nov. 5, 2024, election, a three-point lead over Trump in Iowa. The results of Selzer’s poll were published in the Register.
Trump’s attacks on the new media call into question how free the news media are in the United States. What is unconstitutional about reporting news and news commentary? Democracy depends on a free press.
Normally, the U.S. Supreme Court would uphold freedom of the press. But since Trump-supporting justices on the High Court have a majority, Americans cannot count on the court to support constitutional freedoms, especially freedom of the press.
Since his first election as president on Nov. 8, 2016, Trump has held grudges against various parties that disagree with him.
Trump’s lawsuits against ABC News and the Des Moines Register are likely to have a chilling effect on the news media in general. How likely are news outlets to report anti-Trump news -– perceived or actual — if the result is a lawsuit by Trump or a Trump lawyer?
Trump’s lawyer might be a government employee, possibly an employee of the U.S. Department of Justice, who might be working for Trump once Trump becomes president again on Jan. 20, 2025.
Defending an individual or a business against a lawsuit can be very expensive.
What can’t Trump just live with a free press and accept a free press as part of the American Constitution?
ABC News and Disney showed cowardice in providing Trump with money to settle Trump’s lawsuit.
To protect democracy, America must have a bold and robust press, otherwise corruption and bad behavior will go uncovered.
One only needs to remember the Watergate scandal of 1972-1974. Two Washington Post reporters, Robert Woodward and Carl Bernstein, uncovered various misdeeds and illegal practices of the presidential administration of Richard Nixon. On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon, in disgrace, resigned his presidency.
Nixon tried to cover up the Watergate burglary of June 17, 1972. At the time, the Democratic National Committee had its headquarters at Watergate, a complex of offices and residential units. The Watergate complex was and is in Washington, D.C. Authorities caught and arrested the Watergate burglars, who worked for the Nixon White House.
It’s time for Trump to act like a mensch, (Yiddish for a gentlemen or a “real man”).
But don’t count on Trump’s changing his behavior.
If it were possible, America should resurrect Thomas Jefferson –- or at least bring back Jefferson’s principles.
Agreed that Trump could use a little more presidential behavior. However, today’s press bears no resemblance to the press Jefferson was talking about. Today we have what could be considered Yellow Journalism with biased agendas.