Media, Power, and Free Speech

“Fake news”, lies, and a deep distrust of the “mainstream media”: these all marked the Trump’s first presidency. But will Trump 2.0 only usher in more bombastic speeches, or will the regime turn authoritarian?

Alan and Lionel are joined by Margaret Sullivan, columnist and former New York Times editor, who has called Trump an existential threat to journalism. And with several American news organisations in turmoil and some TV networks struggling, what will the next four years hold for independent media?

Margaret discusses the role that new platforms like Substack may play, as well as “shadow president” Elon Musk, who only seems interested in free speech when it echoes his own views.

She calls for stiff spines and strong wills when dealing with the president and shares her hopes for the industry, if reporters can be be courageous enough...

To watch this interview, search for ‘Prospect magazine’ on YouTube, where Media Confidential is published every Friday.

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