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Friend,
Free Press Action believes in fixing our ailing media system. That means holding news outlets accountable for normalizing Donald Trump and failing to cover the stakes of the election amid the rise of authoritarianism. But — and this is a distinction many on the right don’t seem to get — we will still defend the freedom of the press even when we dislike a given newsroom’s coverage.
That’s why we’re coming to the defense of the press when it is broadly failing to hold the powerful accountable. Earlier this year, in a rare display of unanimous bipartisan agreement, the House passed the PRESS Act, a bill that would shield journalists from surveillance and government threats. If the Senate doesn’t pass it soon, the bill will expire at the end of the year … with effectively zero chance of passing in the incoming Congress.
We’re urging the Senate to act now, but we’re facing an uphill battle: “REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL” is Trump’s message to the Senate on the PRESS Act1 because he sees the press as his enemy and a threat to his dictatorial vision for this country.
In other words, he’s calling for the death of press freedom after calling for the death of journalists themselves on the campaign trail.2 Reelection has only emboldened him: Trump is beginning to wield the tools of the state to turn his dehumanizing, destabilizing rhetoric into reality.
Sign our petition demanding that the Senate swiftly pass the bipartisan PRESS Act to safeguard journalists and their sources — before the Trump administration comes after them.*One click on the link or button will instantly add your name to our petition if we have your details on file.* ADD YOUR NAME
To the U.S. Senate:
S.2074, the “Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying” (“PRESS”) Act, is an essential piece of legislation that would safeguard reporters and their sources. It passed the House with unanimous, bipartisan support earlier this year.
We urge you to pass S.2074 immediately. |
Meanwhile, the House passage of HR 94953 — legislation that would allow the Trump administration to revoke the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit in the country — means the Senate could take up that bill soon. With two bills on the table, and little time left in the year, congressional momentum is behind the wrong legislation. Where the PRESS Act would shield journalists from governmental interference, HR 9495 would enable the government to intimidate and punish nonprofit newsrooms.
Our institutions are capitulating to Trump4 before he even takes office, placing their selfish fears5 above their duty to protect the rest of us.
This is a consolidation of authoritarian power, and time is running out to enact legislative safeguards against it. We need to protect our most basic civil liberties and rights to dissenting speech — we must urge the Senate to act quickly and pass the PRESS Act. Sign our petition today.
Thanks for taking action,
All of us at Free Press Action
1. “Trump Says Republicans ‘MUST KILL’ Bipartisan Bill to Protect Press Freedom,” Rolling Stone, Nov. 20, 2024
2. “Trump Says He ‘Shouldn’t Have Left’ the White House as He Closes Campaign with Increasingly Dark Message,” CNN, Nov. 3, 2024
3. “House Advances Dangerous Legislation That Would Give the Trump Administration Unprecedented Powers To Crush Dissent,” Free Press Action, Nov. 21, 2024
4. “The House Just Blessed Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook by Passing Nonprofit-Killer Bill,” The Intercept, Nov. 21, 2024
5. “‘Morning Joe’ Meeting With Trump Was Driven by Fears of Retribution From Incoming Administration, Sources Say,” CNN, Nov. 19, 2024 |
