The War on Journalism

On October 2nd, Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey and never left.

Khashoggi was a journalist who was openly critical of the Saudi Arabian government and royal family; in a climate where few dared to speak out against Saudi policies, Khashoggi chose to be brave in his journalistic endeavors. It has been speculated that Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate building at the hands of Saudi officials, as punishment for his outspokenness.

If logic was applicable, the leader of the free world (whose country was in part founded upon the idea that a free press is invaluable) would condemn this senseless alleged killing and impose harsh repercussions to the government responsible.

Not Trump though!

Trump’s statements regarding the matter are not characteristic of those that would come from someone who is outraged at such a blatant attack on the freedom of press. Apart from other points of contention (like Trump’s business relationship with Saudia Arabia and how that impacts how strongly he condemns their actions), this reaction contributes to a rising problem in America– the war on journalism.

By now we’ve all heard the term “fake news”- it has become the rallying cry for people who refuse to believe facts that do not support their position. In a general sense, I think this way of thinking is careless. As a society, how are we supposed to cooperate if we cannot agree on what is real and what is speculation? The answer: we cannot.

As per fact checkers from The Washington Post, a majority of what Trump calls “fake news” is actually unequivocally factual. It is extremely problematic that our leader– someone with unyielding influence over a vast majority of people– spreads lies. To what extent will Trump go to promote his rhetoric? Will we eventually use newspeak and be prosecuted for thoughtcrime? It might not seem so far fetched, considering Gallup has recorded Trump’s most recent approval rating among Republicans at 44%, which is only one percent lower than his all time high. What this means: either his Republican supporters truly believe in the lies he tells, or they just don’t care that he tells lies. Personally, I think the first group of people can remedy their ignorance through diversified education. However, I am terrified of people who are ready and willing to abandon truth in favor of biased revision.

This kind of behavior is a precursor to anarchy– especially when it contributes to violence, like in the case of the Capital Gazette shooting, in which five innocent journalists were murdered.

Yes, I do believe Trump’s rhetoric and denial of facts had a positive correlation with the Capital Gazette shooting and violence against journalists in general, considering he declared the “fake news media” as the “enemy of the people” and regularly condones violence against journalists:

America’s founders instilled protections for journalists in our Constitution because the press is meant to warn the people against corruption within the government and guard against tyranny of thoughts and ideas. I think a free press is valuable now more than ever and it is a shame that so many Americans don’t seem to think so.

I hope there will be justice for Jamal Khashoggi and I hope journalists in America stay strong and continue to do the very important work that is becoming increasingly hard to do.