The First Amendment.
The freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.
We hear it all the time. We learned about it in school. We reference it jokingly. It’s almost second nature to us as American citizens.
But now, the thing that our country was built on is becoming the thing that’s destroying us.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m., about 30 news organizations walked out of the Pentagon after new restrictions from the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would require approval of all reported information, whether it was classified or not.
This isn’t a shock, given the Trump administration’s multiple court cases (this year alone) and threats to news outlets, media personnel and others that don’t sing his praises.
When Trump was campaigning for his presidency, he used the first amendment as a method of protecting himself and his violent ideologies. Yet, shortly after becoming president, he launched a war on the press.
And not just the press, but a war on people’s ability to express themselves.
In September, the FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr, made statements alluding to revoking ABC’s licenses. This came after Jimmy Kimmel, a late night talk show host, made comments about Charlie Kirk’s death and Trump’s reaction to it. Within a few days, Kimmel was taken off the air, and it took large protests and a loss of over three million subscriptions to get his show reinstated.
The Pentagon and Kimmel situations are just a couple examples of how our first amendment is being removed right in front of our eyes. Censorship is growing, diversity is lessening and our government is proving to be a room full of yes-men and yes-women instead of people who stand for what they truly believe in.
Now more than ever, we need news. We need honest reporting and we need to know what’s going on behind those government doors.
There’s also a bigger picture as to why the current administration is attempting to stifle all criticism. That picture includes things like changing the Department of Defense to the Department of War, cutting education programs/funding and reducing everyday needs such as food stamps and housing assistance.
They’re trying to silence the average person.
In doing so, the power of the government stays within a select group. They get to increase their say-so, and the country falls right into the personal opinions of whoever is richest on any given day.
That isn’t a system by or for the people. It isn’t what this country was built on, and it shouldn’t be what we let this country turn into.
We have to fight this fight. As journalists, as hosts, as people with opinions, we have to fight. No president or government official is above the constitution.
The United States of America doesn’t have a king.
And most importantly, journalism is not a crime.
