Sowing distrust in the press and journalists, with the constant rhetoric that the news is “fake news” and that professionals are “enemies of the people”. Using the judicial system to put financial pressure on the press. Intimidate the media and escalate attacks with the help of allied businesspeople. Build a parallel and partisan media ecosystem. Does it look familiar? This is the recipe or playbook how autocratic governments attack the press in various parts of the world.
The script was explained by AG Sulzberger, publisher of New York Timeson the panel Truth in the Age of Propaganda and Polarisation (The truth in the age of propaganda and polarization, in literal translation), held this morning, November 11th, on the main stage of the Web Summit, in Lisbon. The conversation was moderated by journalist Katherine Maher, CEO of NPR, the public radio service in the United States.
According to Sulzberger, one of the first targets of any autocratic government, or even an aspiring autocrat, is the press. “And the reason for this is quite obvious: It’s easier to do what you want when no one asks questions and no one exposes what you prefer to keep secret”, said the journalist, who started working at NOW in 2009 as a reporter in the local section.
When Donald Trump ran for office and the polls began to indicate real possibilities of victory, “He made it very clear that he intended to attack the press directly and aggressively”he warned. It was then that the publisher began to “prepare”, in conversations with colleagues from countries like Turkey and Brazil, and noticed “a very clear pattern”.
According to the journalist, it is not about murdering journalists in the streets or arresting professionals (although this happens in several countries), but rather about applying strategies. “It is about gradually increasing pressure in a systematic way, especially through financial punishments, making it increasingly difficult to carry out investigative journalism at full capacity”, he stressed.
It is playbook It has already been applied in countries such as Brazil, Turkey and India, in addition to the United States. “By systematically sowing distrust in the press and normalizing personality journalism, using rhetoric such as “fake news” or “enemies of the people”, the effect is to increase harassment and negative reactions against journalists”, he stressed.
In the case of using the courts, the legal costs of lawsuits against newspapers further strain newsrooms, who already face various financial pressures. Government power is also used, through “regulations and investigations designed to intimidate the media.”
These attacks, which are escalating, are supported by “businesspeople and powerful allies who file defamation lawsuits or launch pressure campaigns”. One of the figures cited by Katherine Maher was billionaire Elon Musk.
Finally, Sulzberger explained the strategy of building new partisan media outlets, “full of media outlets loyal to the party in power, rather than just destroying existing ones.” In countries like Brazil and the United States, These ecosystems proliferate on the internet, through podcasts and videocasts that reach literally millions of people and with strong power on social networks, reaching all segments of the population, especially young people.
In the American case, these figures, who are not journalists, now have access to the White House, while some professionals from agencies considered “enemies” see their credentials suspended. This is what happened, for example, with the Associated Press (AP).
According to the publishereach of these tactics has been advancing “significantly” in the last year. “The disheartening thing is that of the five tactics we identified just a year ago, we have already seen progress across all of them in the United States.”, he assessed.
Sulzberger also reversed roles on the panel, asking Katherine Maher how NPR has been targeted by Trump. “I didn’t want to make this about us, but in fact, As a public broadcaster, we have been the preferred target. Public media around the world have been under pressure”, he stated, citing examples such as Poland and Hungary.
In the case of the American broadcaster he runs, there was a loss of approximately $575 million in federal funding this year. “There were a series of Congressional hearings designed to discredit us, a presidential decree that prevented us from receiving federal funds (in violation of the First Amendment), an investigation based on alleged ‘violations of the public interest’ and, finally, the complete withdrawal of funding by Congress”, said the CEO. He summarized by saying that “it has been an extremely difficult year and, probably, the beginning of a long period”.
But the team is not discouraged. “The public, both nationally and internationally, sees what is happening. And, despite everything, NPR continues to do serious and independent journalism”, he highlighted.
What to do?
Both journalists agreed that this scenario is a “global and dangerous phenomenon”. O publisher do NOW recalled that, “after Trump popularized the term ‘fake news’, more than 50 countries approved laws with that name, not to combat disinformation, but to silence independent journalists”.
For Sulzberger, there are no magic formulas or a playbook like that of Trump and his allies around the world. But there are things that can be done. “The most important thing is to keep doing our job: keep reporting, asking questions, publishing facts, even under pressure”, he defended.
There is no other way but to resist, the two experienced journalists agreed. “The way forward is to resist — and continue to exercise the fundamental right to inform.” And more: Sulzberger stated that it is necessary to do “a better job” to show society the importance of journalism. “Journalism is essential in any democracy”, he concluded.
amanda.lima@dn.pt