[Free Press Update] The rise of the broligarchy, disinformation in times of crisis and more

Friend,
Welcome to the first edition of the Free Press Update in 2025, our monthly newsletter for supporters recapping as much of our work from the last month as possible into one email. This one has a little extra info since we didn’t get a newsletter out in December. Let’s get started:

Meet the Tech and Media Broligarchs Ready to Serve Trump

We couldn’t help but be distracted by the broligarchy on full display in the second row at Trump’s inauguration, featuring media and tech billionaires Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Each paid a fortune to stand there, ready and willing to get on board with the MAGA agenda in exchange for policies that will boost their companies’ bottom lines.
When so few people control media and tech platforms, disinformation thrives, and our democracy suffers. Learn more about what the billionaires paid to get what they want.

Take the 2025 Free Press Supporters’ Survey

There’s no denying that Trump’s return to power has already ushered in a horrific new era — but it’s up to us to choose how we respond. Feedback from our community is crucial as we chart our course for the coming weeks, months and years.
What issues are you most concerned about in the new year and with the new administration? Take our 2025 Priorities Survey and make your voice heard.

The Healing Power Of Storytelling

Journalism has the power to harm — or to heal. From the critical role that trafficking of enslaved Africans played in making our nation’s earliest newspapers financially viable to decades of attacks on Black press and communities — the history of harm runs deep.
Since 2022, Reparative Journalism Program Manager Diamond Hardiman has been researching how to apply a reparations model to the field of journalism. Read Diamond’s blog post introducing our powerful new video, "Reparative Journalism: The Healing Power of Storytelling."

Disinformation in a Time of Disaster

Photo: Flickr user Daniel Oberhaus

Misleading claims about California’s efforts to combat the fires ravaging greater Los Angeles have taken a nasty turn as prominent public figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump have posted disinformation on online platforms to politicize the most destructive disaster in the city’s history.
It’s gotten so bad that many officials focused on fighting the fires have had to divert time and resources to confront and fact check the scourge of falsehoods about relief efforts. That such tragedies have become an ongoing reality of the climate crisis makes it even more urgent to fight disinformation.

Bending the Knee to Trump Is as Easy as ABC

Photo: The White House via Wikimedia Commons

Now more than ever, we need journalists exposing power grabs, digging into the backgrounds of unqualified and unhinged cabinet nominees, and telling the stories of those communities — undocumented immigrants, trans kids, activists, pregnant people, etc. — who face real danger from Trump and his minions.
But instead of trusted sentries, U.S. corporate media execs are acting like compliant lapdogs: rolling over, showing their bellies and begging for table scraps. The behavior of media executives is a worrying sign of what’s to come.

Get Us In Your Feeds

Are you connected with Free Press on social media? If not, we’ve featured some posts from the past month below — and while we’re no longer posting on Twitter/X, you can stay in the loop by following Free Press on platforms like Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Thank you for reading!
Free Press has an important role to play in the months and years ahead. Our team has specialized skills that will be needed to confront and combat the country’s slide toward authoritarianism. We’ve fought a Trump administration and the media moguls enabling it before, and we’ll do it again. Will you rush a donation to Free Press today? Your gift will help us do what’s needed to fight authoritarianism.
Thank you for everything you do to help power our movement,
All of us at Free Press and Free Press Action
freepress.net