Ever since he killed Net Neutrality with dirty tricks and illegal tactics, Donald Trump's FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been claiming that his actions had stimulated broadband growth in America, a claim his spokesvillain repeated yesterday in response to Democrats introducing legislation to restore Net Neutrality. Read the rest
Following the lead of the Boston Globe, close to 350 newspapers across the country ran editorials today in defense of a free press after President Trump declared the media was the "enemy of the state." This greatly displeased Emperor Trump, leading to a Twitter tirade this morning. Read the rest
Dan Gillmor (previously) writes that journalism is at a crisis point, as authoritarian politicians (including, but not limited to, Trump) step up their attacks on the free press, even assassinating their sharpest critics. Read the rest
Some of these questions are just completely bonkers.
Make sure the current administration hears your opinion, as they consider "holding accountable" the free press. Read the rest
Noemi writes, "After closing down Hungary's largest opposition paper (online archive included) Hungarian Prime Miniter Viktor Orban is steadily and methodically turning back the clock on 27 years of history, steadily edging back towards a dictatorship -- except this time with a fascist face. He is testing how far the beleaguered EU will allow him to stretch the boundaries of democracy. This is where the attention of European democratic efforts need to be directed. Not in kindergarten tantrums about sandwich spreads." Read the rest
Juha sez, 'As if journalism here in New Zealand wasn't difficult and damaged enough... the government is proposing to make it worse. 'The unheralded change to "journalistic privilege' is contained in a paper issued by Justice Minister Judith Collins today and proposes a new regime where journalists would have to hand over their sources to a High Court judge who would decide whether they were entitled to claim 'journalistic privilege'. If the court decided there was no case for protecting the source, details would be handed over to the agency seeking the information.'" Read the rest
