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Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced his run for President through a live Twitter Spaces event. The event was a colossal disaster — full of tech snafus (an obvious consequence of Musk’s reckless staff layoffs), and a frightening preview of our media system heading into the 2024 election.
As governor, DeSantis is pushing forward a legitimately scary and fascist agenda in Florida. And, obviously, his ambitions don’t stop there.
Just recently, DeSantis has: Worked closely with a Republican-majority legislature to push forward extreme legislation: a six-week abortion ban, defunding DEI programs at all state universities, anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions on health care and access to restrooms, book bans, requiring a loosely-defined category of “blogger” writing about state government officials to register with the government, and much more. Systematically shut out mainstream media coverage from his events, choosing to only allow right-wing broadcasters and reporters.1 And now, Elon Musk is boosting DeSantis on his social-media platform, despite previously stating that Twitter “must be politically neutral” and “humanity's public square” — just the latest example on a long list of prioritizing voices that amplify bigotry and hate.
Every day at Free Press Action, we’re fighting for equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what’s actually happening in their communities — pushing back against the rising tide of fascism in America. Will you rush a donation to Free Press Action to ensure we have the resources to keep up the fight? DONATE We’re monitoring not only DeSantis’s actions in Florida and his manipulation of the media to push forward his agenda but also the cumulative impact of the propagation of disinformation and hate that has resulted in alarming and authoritarian policies nationwide.
We’re also keeping a close eye on how the media and social-media platforms are accommodating and enabling the rise of camera-friendly authoritarians. Through the Free Press-led #StopToxicTwitter coalition, we’re leading efforts to convince advertisers to stop buying placements on the platform. Since Musk took over, more than half of Twitter’s top 1,000 advertisers have joined the mass exodus, but we’re ramping up the pressure on companies that remain to stop their spending.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to invest in our efforts, this is it. Will you rush a donation to Free Press Action to help sustain our critical work as we gear up for a consequential presidential election cycle?
More soon,
The Free Press Action team
freepress.net
1. Ron DeSantis' blocking of legacy media coverage is dangerous for democracy, MSNBC, July 31, 2022 |
