Since the beginning of our democracy, the freedom of journalists has been respected and appreciated as fundamental to our personal freedoms. I have just read the most recent edition of the Trib from my comfortable location in Spain, where we enjoy a wide range of newspapers, broadcasters and web-based journalism unhindered by government restrictions.
I have been closely following the restrictions being placed on U.S. journalists who oppose Donald Trump and his policies: restricting access to press rooms and press conferences, restricting flows of vital information, cutting funding for Voice of America, and on and on.
I haven’t seen the Trib mention a word of these many restrictions. Is it because the owners or editorial board are afraid of reprimand from the Trump administration? The restrictions and the silence are deeply troubling.
Trump’s objectives are clear: to squelch opposition and to praise himself. This is clearly alarming and reminiscent of the rise of dictatorships in our global history. I hope that this letter, at least, sees the light of being printed. If not, it is yet another signal of the Trib’s succumbing to the fall of democratic fundamentals.
Frank Wade
Ibiza Balearic Islands, Spain, and Oakdale