Defend the Free Press and Protect the First Amendment
Members of the U.S. Congress
Every person residing in the United States is constitutionally guaranteed access to a free and independent press.
The federal government, under the leadership of Donald Trump, has repeatedly interfered with this right in direct violation of the First Amendment. By labeling the press “the enemy of the people,” the administration has undermined public trust in journalism while accelerating media consolidation that allows large corporations to exert outsized control over what information reaches the public on the airwaves and in print.
Public broadcasting has been defunded, individual journalists and major media outlets have been sued and vital institutions such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia have been silenced. These actions represent a sustained effort to weaken independent journalism and restrict the free flow of information.
Now is the time to act. We must halt authoritarian efforts to seize control of the media and instead return it to its rightful stewards: the people.
To that end:
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The current administration must immediately cease and desist from any interference in the production of news and media, including violence against journalists.
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The current administration must relinquish control of the White House Press Corps.
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The current administration must restore—and increase—funding for public broadcasting.
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The current administration must address the growing number of news deserts and ensure that all residents of the United States have access to robust, local journalism produced by newsrooms that reflect a diversity of views, cultures and perspectives.
A free press is essential to a functioning democracy. The United States government has a duty to defend it at all costs.
Sponsored by
To:
Members of the U.S. Congress
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Members of Congress,
I write to you in defense of the constitutionally guaranteed right to a free and independent press. Every person residing in the United States is entitled to the full protection of the First Amendment, and that protection is being eroded.
Recent actions by the federal government have interfered with the free exercise of speech and the press. By publicly attacking journalists, exerting control over press access, defunding public broadcasting, pursuing legal action against media organizations and individual reporters, and silencing institutions such as the Voice of America, the current administration has undermined public trust in journalism and weakened the democratic function of a free press. At the same time, accelerating media consolidation has placed disproportionate control over information in the hands of a few powerful corporations.
Now is the time for Congress to act to halt authoritarian interference in the media and return it to its rightful stewards: the people.
I urge Congress to demand the following actions:
1. The current administration must immediately cease all interference in the production of news and media.
2. The current administration must relinquish control of the White House Press Corps and ensure equal, independent access for journalists.
3. The current administration must restore and increase funding for public broadcasting.
4. The federal government must address the growing number of news deserts and ensure that all people residing in the United States have access to robust, local journalism produced by newsrooms that reflect a diversity of views, cultures and perspectives.
A free press is essential to a functioning democracy. It is the responsibility of Congress to defend this principle and to hold any administration accountable when it is threatened.
Respectfully,