Fake. Threat to democracy. Enemy of the people. Human scum. Some of the worst people you will ever meet. These are just some of the words President Trump has used to describe the journalists he has threatened to prosecute.
As a sophomore journalism student at the University of Miami, these words fill me with disappointment and fear, but I can’t help but recognize the irony. Labeling journalists as a “threat to democracy” for doing exactly what it means to protect democracy — serving as a vital check on those in power — is almost laughable. Except it’s not.
I never know how people will react when they ask about my major. The other day, I started a conversation with a man at the airport and when I told him I was studying journalism, he laughed and said, “Trump is going to call you fake news.” For him, the situation was funny, but for journalists, this is our daily reality, and it’s only going to get worse.
With a second Trump presidency, it is more important than ever that journalists stand firm against defamatory remarks. They must remain vigilant watchdogs, even when facing government pressure, and above all, safeguard the public’s right to stay informed, not by conforming or retreating, but by boldly defending their profession.
At the 2016 Republican National Convention, spectators found themselves staring at a large white billboard screaming a simple directive: “DON’T BELIEVE THE LIBERAL MEDIA!” Paid for by the conservative activist group The Media Research Center, the sign was a product of Trump’s “war on fake news,” launching an era of institutional mistrust.
Trump has been insistent that Republicans tune out all forms of mainstream media, specifically those that do not blindly support his actions. As part of this stance, he has even called on the FCC to revoke the licenses of “fake news” media outlets such as NBC and ABC. Of course, Fox News and other conservative publications were exempt from this scrutiny.
“It is amazing what’s happening to the discredited media like CNN, MSDNC, New York Times and Washington Post. Their businesses have dropped off a cliff, which is actually a very good thing for the American people because they are Fake News,” Trump said in a statement released from his Save America PAC in 2021.
These statements pose a direct threat to democracy, functioning as propaganda aimed at controlling information and manipulating public opinion in favor of Trump and his administration. The First Amendment fiercely protects press freedom to maintain a “marketplace of ideas” where diverse viewpoints can thrive.
By discrediting news organizations that he labels as “liberal” or “left-leaning,” Trump disrupts this exchange, fostering fear while urging reliance on media aligned with his agenda. But it’s not his choice to decide where people get their information; it’s the people’s.
A Pew Research Center analysis shows that the percentage of Republicans who report having “a lot” or “some” trust in national news organizations has been cut in half over the past five years. In 2016, 70% of self-identified Republicans expressed at least some trust in national news outlets. Today, that figure has dropped to 35%.
Today’s journalists face a new mission: how to earn back public trust and continue to protect democracy. Dick Tofel, former president of ProPublica, argues that journalists must focus on three things under the second Trump administration: accurately reporting the news, defending the Constitution and being clear-eyed about the two.
In the early weeks of the new administration, the most urgent threat against the press will be the prosecution of reporters covering mass demonstrations. Trump has a record of restricting press coverage through frivolous lawsuits, espionage charges and arbitrary detainment. Over the four years of Trump’s last term in office, more than two hundred reporters faced criminal charges for covering protests against his policies.
Already, the Trump Administration has barred an Associated Press (AP) reporter from attending an executive order signing. The decision followed a warning from the White House that if AP did not align its editorial standards with President Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event at the Oval Office.
In response, AP issued a statement from Executive Editor Julie Pace, saying, “It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
By using his power to limit the scope of reporting to those who support his interests, Trump undermines journalists’ vital role in investigating and exposing government overreach and misconduct. This fundamental duty of the press, to hold power accountable, is greatly hampered under his presidency.
Additionally, one of the most dangerous consequences of Trump’s return to the White House may be that journalists will engage in self-censorship or alter their coverage as a means of “anticipatory obedience” to avoid persecution.
It is both frightening and dispiriting that some of America’s largest media companies succumb to Donald Trump’s intimidation, offering obscene sums to settle frivolous lawsuits they once had the will and courage to contest.
Journalists must continue to publicize injustices and maintain their role as watchdogs despite censorship, press intimidation and a widespread smear campaign aimed at damaging media institutions’ prestige and credibility. More than ever, we need civic courage.
If, after reading this opinion piece, you feel disheartened and scared for the uncertain future that lies ahead, I’m with you. But as ProPublica’s Tofel advises, “Lick your wounds if you must, but indulge in that for just a moment. There is work ahead, maybe the most important of our lives.”
In a world where our own leader seeks to discredit the work of journalists and vilify the press, we must never forget the profound power our words carry.