Three new forces

Whether exposing corruption in Europe, calling out lies in the US, or ensuring justice is served in an apparent case of Saudi state-sanctioned killing, journalists around the world continue to be threatened by ever-more impudent attempts to malign and distort the truth - by the very powers designed to safeguard and protect. Rarely has there been a time that press freedom has been under such a sustained attack. Three new forces at work make this a critical time for press freedom and for the core freedoms of our society and its citizens.The first is the sustained attack by political figures on independent, well-researched journalism in the belief they can substitute a narrative they prefer for the truth.This is being carried out on a scale not seen since the totalitarian societies in the 1930s. Citizens must be informed by researched, reliable, independent journalism. There are legitimate debates around governmental and corporate policy. But too many political leaders are trying to avoid those debates by creating artificial divisions in society that sow discord and distrust.They do not build consensus....