Free Speech Organizations Pen Open Letter Sounding Alarm on Press Freedom Under Trump
Source: Meidas Touch
A group of seven free speech and civil rights organizations have penned an open letter to American institutions warning of the loss of freedoms of speech and press in the United States under the Trump administration.
The speech advocacy organizations, including Reporters Without Borders USA, Committee to Protect Journalists, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) signed the letter led by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University calling on civic leaders and major American institutions—including universities, media organizations, law firms, and businesses "to stand together in defense of the freedoms of speech and the press that are integral to our democracy."
"In little more than 100 days, President Trump and the agencies under his control have threatened First Amendment rights through a breathtaking array of actions," the letter reads. "They have sought to control speech and association by imposing unconstitutional conditions on a wide range of federal grantees and contractors."
The orgs then issued a stark warning and plea to the press to hold the line on free speech, and not "bend the knee" to the demands and threats from the White House of loss of access if they report the truth of the Trump administration's assault on the Constitution. The letter cites the barring of the Associated Press from the White House Press Room as an example, along with the attempts to coerce Harvard University and other institutions of higher learning that have challenged Trump.
Read more: https://meidasnews.com/news/free-speech-organizations-pen-open-letter-sounding-alarm-on-press-freedom-under-trump
https://knightcolumbia.org/documents/dmuey34qsx
= new reply since forum marked as read
