Letters to the Editor: Only a free media can keep us from devolving into despotism

Attempts by the president and his staff to weaken press freedom are harmful and dangerous.

Press freedom is a precious gift of our democracy. Its importance to Americans is indicated by its position in the Bill of Rights along with the rights of free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

President Trump is fashioning a big lie about our free press — that it is “fake.” As recently as a year ago, roughly three-quarters of people from both parties agreed news media “keep political leaders from doing things that shouldn’t be done.”

Yet, after months of the White House persistently asserting that some news is fake, a Pew Research Center survey released on May 10 found that 89% percent of Democrats agreed with the statement, while only 42% of Republicans felt that way.

As both Adolf Hitler and his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, realized, tell a lie often enough and people will believe it to be true. Obviously, party loyalties affected the survey, but the fake news canard is growing and is dangerous.

Some conservative commentators are pushing the notion that the liberal media (New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post , CNN, etc.) are fake news outlets. They fail to mention that the conservative media (Wall Street Journal, Orange County Register, National Review, Fox News) would, by the same logic, also be fake. If these were indeed all fake news sources, we’d all be living in a world of fakery.

No news organization can obtain complete objectivity, so we live in a situation of liberal- and conservative-leaning publications, both of which strive to present the best available version of the truth from their standpoints, but consequently always fall short of “the truth.”

However, good outlets have elaborate fact-checking mechanisms to make the story as accurate as possible. For example, when CNN incorrectly reported on aspects of Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, three of its staff resigned, presumably under pressure.

Compare the professionalism of any of the publications just mentioned to the National Enquirer for examples of fake news. The July 3 edition was typical — almost all its news was based on anonymous “sources.” True, major outlets will occasionally quote unnamed sources, but they explain why, for example, because the source “was not authorized to speak.”

Presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Richard Nixon have criticized press coverage — these two vehemently. This is an inevitable result of a free press doing its job as the Fourth Estate. Only a free and vibrant media can keep us from devolving into despotism.

Benjamin J. Hubbard

Cosa Mesa

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GOP health plan is ‘plain cruel’

Health insurance is more than a policy; it’s peace of mind. It’s knowing your family will be cared for and not having to worry about going broke when you get sick. That’s why I strongly oppose the Senate health care bill. The more I learn about it, the less I like. Robbing health care from millions of Americans to give yet another tax cut to the rich and powerful is just plain cruel. Our health care system needs to be improved; we all agree on that. But this bill would do exactly the opposite, for no other reason than greed. I urge Sen. Diane Fienstein (D-Calif.) to vote no on the Senate health care bill.

Gila Wdowinski

Laguna Beach

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