Condemn Trump’s Media Offenders list!

Donald Trump has escalated his assault on the free press. After attacking the New York Times and framing its reporting as a national security threat, his administration launched an official White House Media Bias Portal that publicly targets journalists and news outlets the president disagrees with.

The Media Bias Portal maintains a searchable database that names reporters, links to specific stories, and labels coverage as biased or misleading. It includes an Offender Hall of Shame featuring major outlets such as CBS News, the Boston Globe, and the Independent. It invites the public to submit coverage examples for review. Press freedom advocates warn that this kind of government-run tracking crosses from criticism into intimidation.

This escalation does not happen in a vacuum. Reporting from Deutsche Welle shows that sustained political attacks on journalists weaken democratic norms and chill independent reporting. NBC News has documented a rise in threats tied to rhetoric targeting journalists and political opponents. The Washington Post reports that news organizations are facing growing pressure and increased security concerns as hostility toward the media becomes more normalized.

A free press is not a political adversary. It is a safeguard against abuse of power. When the White House uses official tools to single out journalists, it sends a clear signal that critical reporting is something to be punished rather than protected.

Add your name to call on elected leaders to condemn this escalation and defend the role of independent journalism in a democracy.

Speak out before this becomes the new normal.

Thanks,
Mary