The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
President Donald J. Trump is attacking and dismantling the First Amendment’s press freedoms and principles that are essential to democracy. As guardians of that freedom, we, the Journalism faculty at American University, are obligated to name this clear and present danger. Our duty to you requires us to unequivocally renounce these attacks on the free press. We must lift your gaze and inspire your actions toward higher principles in journalism and its essential role of telling the hard truths that make a better world.
The White House has bullied highly credible journalism organizations, imprisoned student contributors to campus publications, deleted public data sets and voided workplace policies that ensure that all voices are heard. These are vicious attacks on the press’s crucial functions in this democracy. This conduct follows the authoritarian regimes’ playbook. Despots routinely identify the press as the enemy of the people. Please know these actions are grave abuses of power and egregious aberrations, and none of us should ever accept this as the norm.
President Trump banned access and severely restricted the ability of the Associated Press — the oldest credible news provider for every corner of this country. In their place, he is granting access to media organizations that echo his falsehoods and defend his actions. Without credible monitors such as the Associated Press, the American people will not get the information they need to fairly assess government policies.
President Trump’s suppression of press freedoms has included using lawsuits to hound our most respected news organizations and bully their corporate owners. The Washington Post, whose owner, Jeff Bezos, has business with the government, seemingly acquiesced to this pressure by changing editorial and advertising policies to ones more favorable to the president.
Equally alarming is the specious $20 billion lawsuit Trump filed against 60 Minutes, the well-respected CBS news magazine. Paramount, the owner of CBS, is negotiating a settlement payment. Paramount, too, has imminent business pursuits that would suffer if the Trump administration opposed them. The actions by owners of these media companies appear to be motivated more by profits than by a journalistic mission. These are clear violations of journalism principles.
Following Trump’s purge of federal archives and spending for and about groups that are not white, straight, able-bodied and male, some media companies have abandoned their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Journalism cannot. Our mission is to echo all voices. Including everyone is how we address issues that are important to all the nation’s people. This is not a policy option; it is a professional necessity.
These are just a few examples of journalism losing its way amid these unprecedented attacks. You should know these actions violate the core principles of journalism and democracy. In our pedagogy, research and service, we remain committed to upholding the principles of journalism and teaching students the tenets of the Fourth Estate.
One consolation is the many brave journalists who are risking their lives and livelihoods to report on the front lines of this administration and investigate the truth. They are leaning into core ethical and journalism principles that have strengthened our democracy for the past 250 years.
Our other consolation is you, who hold the future of the free press and democracy in your hands. We stand with you as we navigate these challenging times and continue to pursue this noble calling of journalist, public witness and truth-teller.
Editor’s note: This open letter was originally published here. The American University School of Communication Journalism Division’s full-time faculty are described here.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks.
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