America Scores Lowest Freedom Score Ever

Press freedom in the US has fallen to a record low, and America is now considered problematic. The US now ranks at 57 out of 180 countries. And this is why according to Reporters Without Borders: In the United States, Donald Trump’s second term as president has led to an alarming deterioration in press freedom, indicative of an authoritarian shift in government. His administration has weaponized institutions, cut support for independent media, and sidelined reporters. With trust in the media plummeting, reporters face increasing hostility. At the same time, local news outlets are disappearing, turning vast swaths of the country into “news deserts.” Trump also terminated federal funding for the US Agency for Global Media, which distributes resources to vital international media organizations, affecting audiences and outlets worldwide. This comes as Trump has cut funding to PBS and NPR. The two outlets provide news to millions of Americans who otherwise would not have local news. Trump has called the outlets “radical left monsters” and maybe he thinks he’s owning the libs here but despite what he thinks: WBEZ in Chicago and WNYC in New York are still going to be chugging along, the big cities will keep them alive and in fact they may end up doing better now since they’ve become a symbol of resistance. But it’s in Trump country where this will do the most damage. Up to 30% of NPR’s listeners will lose access to it because the federal funding is what keeps rural stations alive. Rural communities around America will lose access to news, educational programming and perhaps most importantly access to urgent emergency information like tornados and hurricanes. The CEO of PBS said ““There isn’t an economic model that would compel commercial broadcasters to have outlets strewn across the state where the population is so sparse”. So the private sector can’t fill the gap here, and I have yet to see anyone successfully cover a tornado warning in short form. Federal funding isn’t for blue cities, it’s for red towns.

#usa #america #freedom