Role of a free press

Note to wife:

Over the weekend, Donald Trump continued to attack the news media, going as far as saying they are the “enemy of the American people.” In his usual over-the-top manner, Trump again demonstrates how misinformed he is about how things work. Throughout our history, the media has played an adversarial role to government. That’s by design. They try to help keep things honest.

Sen. John McCain, to his credit, challenged Trump’s assertion, saying that a free press is vital to a free society —  and noting that the first step to dictatorship is silencing an independent news media. The “enemy of the people” line worked for Hitler, Stalin and Mao, among others.

Though Trump quoted Thomas Jefferson criticizing newspapers, it brings to mind his more famous quote on the subject.

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