Eric Boehlert: Putin outlaws journalism -- Trump's dream comes true
Putin outlaws journalism — Trump's dream comes true
Authoritarians unite
Eric Boehlert
6 hr ago
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Fast forward four years, and Putin is now putting Trump’s deep hatred of the press into practice, signing into law a ban on all independent news reporting about the Ukraine invasion.
For anyone doubting the direct, autocratic line that connects Trump to the Kremlin, Moscow’s move to criminalize journalism should illuminate that disturbing political path. Putin’s sweeping censorship law, designed to eradicate “fake news” about Russia’s immoral incursion, represents Trump’s anti-media fantasy come to life.
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The draconian law, which passed unanimously through the Russian Parliament, threatens to criminalize the work of foreign correspondents reporting from inside Russia. Consequently, most major news operations, including BBC News, Bloomberg, and CNN, have suspended operations — there are no more TV reports airing from Moscow. The Washington Post is removing bylines from articles that originate inside the country so Kremlin officials do not know who wrote them, and therefore can’t charge the journalists.
Ironic: After years of lavishly praising Putin (“Why shouldn’t I root for Russia?”), and more recently holding him up as a strong leader compared to “weak” Joe Biden, Fox News today cannot report safely from inside Russia.
Targeting the press and demonizing reporters is a hallmark of authoritarian leaders who are anxious to undermine journalism's crucial oversight role in open societies. Trump, of course, did his best to endanger journalists in the U.S., where media death threats became commonplace during his presidency. Does anyone doubt that if Trump were re-elected he would try to outlaw portions of independent journalism in the U.S.?
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https://pressrun.media/p/putin-outlaws-journalism-trumps-dream
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