Washington Post

The Threat To Truth In Journalism

Ronald 8 Comments

A very significant part of any democracy is a free, uncontrolled journalism and news media that promotes accountability and truth by government.

Sadly, and tragically, there are danger signs that a free, unbridled journalism is rapidly being eviscerated.

Examples are ABC News and CBS News reacting to lawsuits pursued by Donald Trump by caving in, and paying financial damages, when they should have fought it out in court.

Also, CBS News has been compromised by new ownership, catering to Donald Trump and firing many on their staff.

Additionally, the Washington Post under Billionaire Jeff Bezos has changed the nature of editorials and columnists, and many leading figures in that newspaper have resigned.

The Los Angeles Times has also shown signs of conceding to the Trump Administration in many instances, and CNN also has demonstrated willingness to be cautious in its approach to the Trump Administration.

For now, only the New York Times and MSNBC (to be renamed MS NOW on November 15) are resisting pressures by the Trump Administration.

All News Outlets Except One Refuse New Pentagon Media Restrictions!

Ronald 1 Comment

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense (or War insisted by him and Donald Trump) has pushed out all access to Pentagon information, by forcing all journalists to leave their long determined rights to have ability to question and investigate what is going on in our government, regarding military matters and national security.

Except for the one case of One America News, an extremist right wing MAGA Republican news outlet, ALL other news and journalistic websites and their reporters no longer will be able to gain information, except through outside connections, undermining the idea of a government accountable to the population of the nation. Corruption and abuse will flourish as a result!

So 40 news outlets, from left wing to right wing, including
Fox News
Newsmax Media
Daily Caller
Washington Examiner
(all right wing oriented)
join other, more reputable outlets including
NBC News
ABC News
CBS News
CNN
MSNBC
Associated Press
The Economist
The Guardian
The Hill
Huffington Post
New York Times
Los Angeles Times
NPR
PBS Newshour
Politico
Real Clear Politics
Wall Street Journal
Washington Post,
Washington Times
and numerous lesser known news outlets in their unity against the Pentagon mandate!

This is massive interference with Freedom of the Press!

The Rapid Decline Of Honest Journalism

Ronald 5 Comments

A very sad and dangerous situation exists, where journalism at all levels has been compromised in the time of the Trump Presidency.

We have seen courageous, challenging journalists such as Terry Moran of ABC News and Jim Acosta of CNN forced out of their positions for the “nerve” to challenge Donald Trump and his supporters on their policies and actions.

We have seen ABC News and CBS News making financial settlements after lawsuits by Donald Trump over their coverage of news and interviews that Trump decided to sue, and the settlements leading to contributions to a future Donald Trump Presidential Library in South Florida.

We have seen major newspapers, such as the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, making changes designed to avoid alienating Trump.

We have seen late night comedians, such as Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, along with “The View” and “Saturday Night Live” coming under attack, as well as the leadership and tone of “Sixty Minutes” being changed dramatically.

The new ownership of CBS by the billionaire Larry Ellison family is in process of destroying the long held, high level, reputation of that news network, that had such courageous journalists in the past as Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, and Dan Rather.

The coverage of White House press conferences and other activities, including the Pentagon, has been compromised by Trump, his Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, censoring who can be present, who can ask questions, and denying freedom of speech and press at every turn.

This is all very alarming, as without a free, uncontrolled media environment, and without the ability to have comedy shows that can make fun of government leaders and policies, we are on the road to a total Fascist authoritarian government, which, once accomplished, will be hard to prevent long term damage.

First Amendment Under Attack After Charlie Kirk Assassination: An Out Of Control Abuse!

Ronald 9 Comments

America is in a very dangerous time, as the Charlie Kirk Assassination has spurred Donald Trump and his supporters to promote an attack on the First Amendment—freedom of speech, press, and assembly.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Deputy Chief Of Staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance have all declared war on what they call “enemies” of the left, who must be suppressed by government action, although Bondi has backed off somewhat after criticsm even by some Republicans.

This attack on the First Amendment is also causing some media outlets, such as the Washington Post, and even MSNBC, to fire certain commentators, and for some universities, airlines, and other corporations to fire those who have posted on social media, in a manner that their employers have decided is not acceptable.

And Trump has started a $15 billion lawsuit against the NY Times.

ICe (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has also been engaged in abuse of power in their arrests of people who look or speak Spanish, and their rough treatment of those they detain.

These are all signs of Fascism in America, but those who believe in freedom of expression are refusing to back off.

There is NO justification for violence against anyone, but the record shows much more extremism by the RIGHT, rather than the LEFT!

Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) Has Become A Pure Dictatorship, Planning Massive Incarceration With No Legal Recourse For Immigrant Victims!

Ronald 13 Comments

It is totally shocking that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has, by actions of the Trump Administration, become a pure dictatorship, with the aim of massive incarceration of millions of immigrants with no legal recourse to utilize against such action, as the aim is to deport millions over the next few years. This has been revealed in an exclusive exposure by the Washington Post yesterday.

The plans of Kristi Noem, Thomas Homan, Stephen Miller and others in the Trump Administration are moving toward an evil likely even worse than the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II.

This is totally against the Bill of Rights, and is pure Fascism, with the horrid conditions at the new “Alligator Alcatraz” a sign of the mistreatment awaiting the immigrant victims while they wait for deportation, often to nations that speak a different language, and to which they have no personal or family ties.

Breaking up of families and mistreatment that includes lack of sanitation, health care, and malnutrition, all conditions that make for what could be called “internment” camps, but some would say “concentration” camps, is the future, unless somehow, this monstrosity can be deterred.

But legally, it seems at this point like a losing cause, as America descends into a right wing, fanatical dictatorship, even threatening critics who are not immigrants, for their outspokenness in criticism!

Trump Threatens Any Republicans Who Support NPR And PBS: Time For Courage, Conscience, And Principle To Resist!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is on a rampage to eliminate all media reporting of the horrible truths of his first six months in office.

He is trying to eliminate the free media and press through lawsuits of privately owned media, including most notably CBS and ABC; and to wipe out financial support of two institutions that have been crucial in public information and truth—National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), created during the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson six decades ago.

Both NPR and PBS are great treasures, who have always had citizens contribute to their well-being, including this author and blogger. But there has also, always, been public tax support of the massive positive impact of both agencies, which is a pittance, when one considers federal expenditures.

Trump’s attempt to destroy NPR and PBS, and to promote censorship of major television and cable news, as well as the best newspapers that keep America free (specifically the NY Times and Washington Post, along with the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal), along with other major print media, needs to be resisted at all costs, as the one way to insure American democracy survives the nightmare of Trump authoritarianism!

It is urgent that Republicans in Congress show some courage, conscience, and principle, and resist threats from Trump to oppose any party member who resists his desire to destroy public media that has done so much good for 60 years!

If they do not, on such a small investment as this, then it is time for the Republican Party of history to be declared dead, and admit we have a Fascist party, with elements of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Juan Peron, and even Adolf Hitler!

45th Anniversary Of CNN: Its Impact On Journalism!

Ronald Leave a comment

Forty Five years ago, on June 1, 1980, was the birth of cable news, with the debut of CNN (Cable News Network) by Billionaire Ted Turner, a revolution in the covering of news domestically and around the world.

CNN was without competition until 1996, when MSNBC and Fox News Channel were created as competitors.

Now, there are many more cable and online news channels, but CNN, even with criticisms and blunders that have occurred over the four and a half decades, still stands out as one of the premier news organizations, alongside the NY Times, Washington Post, Public Broadcasting System (PBS), Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

CNN had a slow start and beginning, with the occurrence of the Persian Gulf War in early 1991 the turning point of it becoming massive in its evolution.

Many different personalities, with many controversies over coverage of different issues included, just added to the color and impact of CNN.

Despite recognized shortcomings, as with any institution, the nation and the world have benefited greatly from this great institution that continues to challenge powerful people in many areas of public life, domestic and foreign.

It has opened up the eyes and minds of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

The Horrors Visited On Fired Federal Government Employees: Totally Outrageous!

Ronald 4 Comments

One estimate of the damage done to Federal Government employees is that about 150,000 out of about 2.4 million such individuals (about 6 percent), are no longer employed by the US government, and with many agencies put out of existence, or barely in operation, if not totally shut down, by the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk!

The shock and disarray of the mass “blood letting” going on, as described in an article in the Washington Post, has led to suicide, depression, and many other horrendous outcomes of dedicated workers who have had their lives totally upended.

Meanwhile, many government agencies have been damaged, and are not capable of meeting the responsibilities with diminished staffs, therefore, endangering the American people in so many areas of public policy and life.

What Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans in Congress, by not challenging Presidential abuses, is doing, is undermining the safety and security of the entire population long term.

It is as if Donald Trump and company are working to dismantle and destroy the American government, and only favoring the further enrichment of the billionaires and corporations, a new “Gilded Age”!

More Than Half Century Since Watergate Break In: Major Figures Still Alive!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Watergate Break In that brought down Richard Nixon a half century ago has at least five major individuals involved in the history of the event still alive today.

There are Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward (82) and Carl Bernstein (81), who jointly investigated and exposed the scandal that began in June 1972, coming up to 53 years ago.

Also, there is John Dean (86) who was Richard Nixon’s White House lawyer, who also turned evidence against him, but was disbarred for his earlier coverup for Nixon.

Also, one of the Watergate prosecutors was Jill Wine-Banks (82), and of all people, Hillary Clinton (77) was a member of the staff advising the House Judiciary Committee engaged in the impeachment of Richard Nixon.

All five were young people in their late 20s when they became part of American history in a massive way!

Jeff Bezos, The Washington Post, And Eugene Robinson And Ruth Marcus

Ronald 2 Comments

The Washington Post, considered one of the two best, most complete and informative “national” newspapers, alongside the NY Times, has lost two top columnists who served decades and transformed journalism.

Eugene Robinson and Ruth Marcus were the “cream of the crop” in political journalism, but the Washington Post owner, Jeff Bezos, also owner of Amazon, and the second wealthiest billionaire behind Elon Musk, has chosen to emasculate the opinion pages of the newspaper,caving in to Donald Trump!

The Washington Post will survive without Robinson and Marcus, but it will lose credibility and legitimacy in many corners, and will undermine the pursuit of truth and facts.

This is a clear and present danger to American democracy and the rule of law!