We are weary of the daily spectacle; worn down by the constant battering at the bulwarks of our democracy; dispirited that 40% of our fellow citizens applaud or accept a manifestly unfit president; feel betrayed by the cynical complicity of Republicans in DC and state capitals; tempted to just tune it all out.
Well, it is time to snap out of it.
Remember the first full day of the Trump “presidency”? Over 2 million women grabbed their pussy hats and marched in protest. A visceral instinct for activism was palpable throughout the country, even though there was nothing specific yet to protest.
Fast forward to today. The sheer volume, variety, and consequence of the outrages and threats confronting us– governing via stream of consciousness tweets, the systematic dismantling of governmental departments and regulatory safeguards, an ad hoc and delusional foreign policy, and the continual attacks on opponents, the press, and the rule of law, to name a few– overwhelm and confuse the natural instinct to act. How can we common citizens make sense of this perilous time, let alone know how to channel any desire we might have to do something?
I believe we start by separating the noise, the intentional distractions, from the serious threats to our democracy that were growing before Trump but that he has embraced, embodied, and amplified.
The first and most basic threat that each of us can and should confront is the sustained attack on the press. Fortunately, there is much we can all do.
“The Press is the Enemy of the People”
The only security of all is in a free press. -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Lafayette, Nov 4, 1823, Library of Congress
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists. -Hannah Arendt, “The Origins of Totalitarianism
After the 2016 election, Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes, asked Trump off camera why he continued the constant hammering of the press, even after winning. His surprisingly frank response: “You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you.”
And you know? It works. The charges that most of the media are Fake News and the Enemy of the People have been chanted so consistently for over 2 years that they have become accepted as fact by a stunning proportion of the electorate. A July, 2018, Quinnipiac University poll found that 75% of Republicans trust Donald Trump to tell the truth on important issues, compared to only 15% who trust the media. (With Independents, it is 30% and 60% respectively.) Perhaps worse, we risk becoming inured to this constant undermining and delegitimizing of those we need now more than ever. They are doing their job. We need to do ours.
What we can do as individuals falls into two categories: be responsible consumers of the media and support our free press.
Be a responsible media consumer
Let’s start with this: facts do exist and are knowable. Truth matters. Science matters. Entertainment is fine and we need ample doses of humor. We all are tempted to seek easy answers and reinforcement of our own (or our side’s) positions. But, when satisfied with that, we are an uninformed electorate. Only armed with real information and understanding can we maintain and protect our democratic heritage.
As the X-Files taught, the truth is out there but it can be difficult to identify. In fact, no media source is going to provide it ready-made. Nor is it their job. Their job is to investigate, probe, ferret out, report, analyze, opine– and to do it with integrity. Our job is to learn to identify those that do, learn the facts as best we can, and try to discern what is true. That’s a lot harder than starting with a preconceived “truth” and being fed supporting “facts.”
No news outlet is going to do their job perfectly or be completely free of bias. So we need to develop multiple trusted sources. We tend to seek out media that is generally compatible with our own politics or world view. So we need to include sources that provide divergent opinions and represent a liberal/conservative spectrum. For example, I lean heavily on the NY Times, Washington Post, NPR, and PBS for national news. In my opinion, they have a good track record accurately reporting the news and, particularly with the Times and the Post, lean leftward in the Opinion section. Each of them make an effort to include contributors from the right as well, which I value. I also seek out other honest conservative voices for balance. Podcasts are an excellent source of specific points of view.
One vital role of the press is the cultivation and use of anonymous sources. Decried by previous administrations, and even more by the current one, it is understandably controversial. It is also a good example of why the news often requires nuanced thinking by a responsible media consumer. Governments and big corporations often seek to disguise or withhold information that is in the public interest. All too often, our only access will come from insiders willing to share (“leak”) information to a reporter. The insider’s motivation may be noble or self-serving, the information accurate or fabricated. The great majority of reporters will use their experience and skill to test the veracity of the leak and seek corroboration from other sources. Our responsibility is to consider the report for what it is, something that may or may not prove to be true, a piece of a puzzle.
Support our free press
This could not be more practical. We’re talking about money here.
A free press is not cost free. Advertising works for most television. Public television and radio, to date, still enjoy partial government funding, but mostly depend upon pledges from listeners. If you watch PBS news or listen to NPR news, support them.
Newspapers, online and paper, have struggled with declining advertising revenue and subscriptions, as people turned to free stuff online. Good reporting is expensive, requiring having reporters where the news happens. For example, the NY Times staffs at least 13 domestic and 25 international bureaus. To whatever extent you can, subscribe to the publications you most value.
Local newspapers suffer the most and are either disappearing or being swallowed by national syndicates and having their reporting staffs decimated. So, we are losing the investigative power of the paper, the role of the watchdog on local and state governments. Also, having so much of our coverage skewing national may well be contributing to the country’s increasing polarization. If you have a viable local paper, support it. Subscribe.
Finally, we can support our free press through nonprofit organizations. These investigative watchdogs publish fascinating in-depth pieces that challenge powerful interests and reveal underreported stories. They support award-winning journalists and promote transparency in our government.
Consider supporting these groups, whether by donating or subscribing:
- Factcheck.org
- Investigative Reporters & Editors
- ProPublica
- The Center for Investigative Reporting
- The Center for Public Integrity
- The Center for Responsive Politics
6 Replies to “Defending the “Enemy of the People””
Mary Ann Timeus
Mike, thank you for pulling together and expressing so clearly what leads many of us to despair. I especially appreciate the clear action steps! Bravo!
Lona Sepessy
Thanks Mike for tackling what is perhaps the most fundamental attack on democratic principles in your blog post. I’m out east and just skimming news but noted the Senate unanimously passed a ? Statement? declaring the necessity of a free press and essentially condemning Trumps attacks and undermining. Check out Round Earth Media, a unique journalistic program pairing younger journalists from the US with ones from other non-European countries. It was conceived and started by a college friend of mine.
Thanks Lona. I will look into Round Earth Media.
Becky Clausen
Well written and insightful, Mike. You captured a “worn out” feeling after almost daily offenses to democracy and decency. I like being guided to action steps.
Sylvia Lesser
Excellent, Mike. Much thought went into this. We must be speak out to support and protect our free press.
I received this list of all the media outlets in the country with ratings of their bias or non-bias. It’s interesting. If you haven’t already, check it out.
Thanks, Sylvia. I will check it out!
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