Freedom of the Press 2.0… the
post Constitutional Era
Let’s go back to November 2024 and
pretend that Kamala Harris won the election.
Then let’s fast forward to
February 2025, the first full month of her presidency.
Let’s suppose President Harris
started publicly complaining about FOX News coverage of her, calling it unfair,
biased and full of lies. She sues the network and cites the upcoming license
renewal which her administration must approve, all in order to get more
favorable coverage and personally receive millions of dollars.
Now fast forward a few more months
into her presidency. In the late fall we see two major entertainment companies
desiring to merge, a process that needs government approval. Again, not pleased
with the news coverage she is getting, President Harris demands a say in the
future news coverage of her administration in order for her administration to
approve the merger.
Questions…
Is there anything inherently wrong
with either of these two scenarios?
Should a POTUS be able to
intervene in the editorial decisions of independent news agencies?
Would the involvement of a POTUS
in the hiring and editorial decisions of an independent news agency impact the
Constitutional right to a free press?
Clearly these examples are based
on how President Trump dealt with CBS News and 60 Minutes and the proposed
merger of Warner & Netflix or Warner & Paramount.
Paramount, the parent of CBS.
Larry Ellison and his son David, both Paramount leaders have a strong
relationship with President Trump and approved the payments made by CBS
directly to Trump. Additionally, President Trump has publicly said he will be
involved in the Paramount deal to acquire Warner, the parent company of CNN.
Trump’s son in-law Jared Kushner is also a major player in the prospective
deal.
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