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    Authoritarianism is putting everything we value in danger

    Authoritarianism is putting everything we value in danger

    The future of all that we cherish is on the line and we—all of us—have to fight like hell to protect democracy, human decency, and a livable planet. Our reporters are working overtime to cover the onslaught of horrors as well as the resistance movements rising up to fight back. We must be prepared to do battle over the long haul. Will you donate to our Mid-Year Campaign to keep the progressive, nonprofit journalism of Common Dreams alive?

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    Authoritarianism is putting everything we value in danger

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    freedom of the press

    Social media app icons on smartphone, including Bluesky, Facebook, Youtube, and X.

    Today's Social Media Are No Longer Safe for Journalism

    This existential moment calls for a global social media platform for independent news media.

    Christopher R. Martin
    Mar 21, 2025

    Hannah Arendt, the German-American political theorist who studied totalitarian regimes, noted in 1974 that “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed?”

    Fifty years later, we have nearly reached that moment. This is existential for all independent (i.e., not allied with a political party or authoritarian regime) news organizations and their ability to reach audiences in the social media space.

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    Carr and Trump

    FCC Probe Into NPR, PBS Denounced as 'Attack on the Freedom of the Press'

    "The FCC chair is clearly undertaking an effort to bully and intimidate independent journalism, which is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes where democracy is under siege," said one critic.

    Jessica Corbett
    Jan 31, 2025

    U.S. press freedom advocates this week forcefully condemned Republican Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr's investigation into National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service that could lead to stripping them of government funding.

    "If they weren't ringing already, alarm bells should be going off loudly," said Tim Richardson, program director for journalism and disinformation at PEN America, in a Thursday statement. "By using its investigatory powers, the FCC chair is clearly undertaking an effort to bully and intimidate independent journalism, which is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes where democracy is under siege."

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    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a speech

    'Gift to the Ruling Class': Florida Bill Would Make It Easier for Officials Like DeSantis to Sue Critics

    "Floridians should not tolerate their governor's experiments in authoritarianism in their name and at their expense."

    Jake Johnson
    Feb 21, 2023

    A Florida House Republican introduced legislation Monday that would make it easier for state officials—such as censorship-happy Gov. Ron DeSantis—to sue for defamation, a measure that critics decried as a blatant attack on the freedom of the press and free expression with potentially sweeping implications.

    Filed by Florida state Rep. Alex Andrade (R-2), H.B. 951 laments that the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan has "foreclosed many meritorious defamation claims to the detriment of citizens of all walks of life" by placing such claims under the purview of the federal government and establishing a high standard of proof.

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