Friend,

Today marks World Press Freedom Day, a global acknowledgment of the importance of independent journalism as a safeguard against democratic backsliding.

Here in the United States, ongoing attacks from the Trump administration weaken the press’ ability to inform the public and hold powerful figures accountable — a violation of fundamental First Amendment rights.

Republicans at the state and federal levels have threatened media outlets, introduced legislation to limit access to public records and undermined public trust in journalism:

• The administration issued an executive order calling for the end of federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).¹ Trump is also pushing Congress to rescind more than $1 billion in already-approved funding for the CPB.² These moves could have a devastating impact on local NPR and PBS stations across the country.
• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke CBS’ broadcast licenses² following a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Carr also reopened complaints against ABC and NBC for their coverage of Trump while dismissing similar complaints against Fox News — indicating a partisan application of regulatory power.
• Trump unlawfully barred AP reporters from press briefings after the outlet refused his outlandish demand to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”⁴
• The White House has restricted all wire services — including the AP and Reuters — from participating in the White House’s daily press pool.⁵
• The administration also tried to shut down the Voice of America, which broadcasts news in 49 languages worldwide.⁶

The deterioration of press freedom in the United States is part of a disturbing global trend we’re seeing in places like Gaza, Haiti, Hungary and Russia.⁷ Around the world, journalists are being silenced through intimidation, censorship, surveillance and violence — tactics to suppress dissent and control public narratives:

• In Gaza, between Oct. 7, 2023, and March 26, 2025, at least 232 media workers were killed.⁸ This makes it the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history.
• In Haiti, at least 10 journalists were attacked while covering a major protest in March 2025.⁹ Reporters say wearing press vests has actually made them more visible and vulnerable.
• In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vowed to continue his 15-year campaign against press freedom,¹⁰ demonizing journalists as tools of those who do not support his regime.
• In Russia, a Ukrainian journalist was abducted after reporting on illegal detention sites, later dying in Russian custody.¹¹
• In 2024, at least 361 journalists were incarcerated in countries around the world, showing the rising global risks for members of the press.¹²

Attacks on journalism are part of a larger scheme to attack democracy. Press freedom doesn’t erode overnight. It’s dismantled piece by piece — until suddenly, it’s gone. We cannot allow that to happen.

Let this World Press Freedom Day be a reminder of what’s at stake: Without a free press, people are left with propaganda, disinformation and silence. We lose the ability to question those in power, expose injustice and tell the truth about our communities and the world.

In solidarity,

All of us at Free Press

P.S. Help Free Press keep fighting to protect press freedom with a donation today.

1. “Order to End Federal Support for NPR and PBS Is a Legally Dubious Push to Censor Media Coverage Trump Dislikes,” Free Press, May 2, 2025

2. “How the Trump Administration Is Trying to Defund Public Media,” Free Press, April 14, 2025

3. “How FCC Chairman Carr Has Fueled Trump's Authoritarian Takeover,” Free Press, March 18, 2025

4. “Trump Says AP Will be Curtailed at the White House Until it Changes its Style to Gulf of America,” Associated Press, Feb. 18, 2025

5. “The Trump White House Is Axing the Wire Service Spot from the Coverage Pool, the Latest Salvo in its Battle with the AP,” CNN, April 16, 2025

6. “Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Dismantle Voice of America,” The New York Times, April 22, 2025

7. “2024 World Press Freedom Index – Journalism Under Political Pressure,” Reporters Without Borders, 2024

8. “News Graveyards: How Dangers to War Reporters Endanger the World,” Brown University’s Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs, April 1, 2025

9. “Journalists in Haiti Defy Bullets and Censorship to Cover Unprecedented Violence,” Associated Press, April 4, 2025

10. “Hungary's Orban Vows Crackdown on Media, NGOs,” DW, March 15, 2025

11. “What Our Latest Investigative Series Can Tell You About Russia’s Dark Detention System,” The Guardian, April 30, 2025

12. “EU statement on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May,” Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe, April 30, 2025