Fascists are at war with journalism. Why aren't journalists at war with fascism? (former Chicago Tribune & Sun-Times ed.

[highplainsdem]

Must-read from Mark Jacob:

https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/fascists-are-at-war-with-journalism

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What’s more alarming and not at all principled is corporate media’s triangulation. They want to make their news truthful enough to keep an audience that’s attractive to advertisers while preventing it from being so truthful that it ticks off center-right customers and gains the negative attention of Trump and the tech-financial oligarchy behind him.

As one legacy outlet, CBS News, has become an organ of the dictatorship, its viewership numbers have slipped. There is a financial danger of being too Trumpy. But other major outlets know if they go the other way – if they state the dangers of the regime in frank terms – they will be punished with frivolous lawsuits, regulatory harassment, and a lack of access.

So we get news from an absurd patch of middle ground. Major media know Trump is building a dictatorship, but they’re unwilling to tell the public that Trump is building a dictatorship.

This cynical pursuit of profit at the expense of public awareness is unacceptable. In our democracy, journalists stand in a privileged position, with freedom of the press specifically protected in the Constitution. They have a duty to inform the electorate.

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Excellent framing from @markjacob.bsky.social on mainstream media:

"They want to make their news truthful enough to keep an audience that’s attractive to advertisers while preventing it from being so truthful that it ticks off center-right customers and gains the negative attention of Trump..."

— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) 2026-01-20T19:29:45.631Z

[SheltieLover]

1. Good question!