NYT publisher warns Trump could crack down on press freedom in Washington Post editorial

A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of The New York Times, warned of a “quiet war” against the freedom of the press as former President Trump pursues a second White House term with negative rhetoric about the media.

Sulzberger, in an op-ed published in The Washington Post Thursday, pointed to the growing threats to media independence in other countries, arguing the United States may not be that far off as the general election approaches.

The Times publisher zeroed in on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government’s tight control of a majority of the nation’s news outlets.

“A weakened press made it easier for him to keep secrets, to rewrite reality, to undermine political rivals, to act with impunity — and, ultimately, to consolidate unchecked power in ways that left the nation and its people worse off,” Sulzberger wrote.

“Over the past year, I’ve been asked with increasing frequency whether The New York Times, where I serve as publisher, is prepared for the possibility that a similar campaign against the free press could be embraced here in the United States, despite our country’s proud tradition of recognizing the essential role journalism plays in supporting a strong democracy and a free people,” he wrote. “It’s not a crazy question.”

Trump and his allies have hinted at their plans to increase attacks on the media, Sulzberger wrote, pointing to the former president’s comment last year in which he said, “When I win the presidency of the United States, they [Comcast] and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things and events.”

The comments were made last fall, when Trump threatened to investigate Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, NBC News and MSNBC over the outlet’s coverage of him should he be elected president again. In doing so, he rehashed his reference to the media as the “enemy of the people.”

“If Trump follows through on promises to continue that campaign in a second term, his efforts would likely be informed by his open admiration for the ruthlessly effective playbook of authoritarians such as Orban, whom Trump recently met with at Mar-a-Lago and praised as ‘a smart, strong, and compassionate leader,'” Sulzberger wrote.

To prepare for the possibility, Sulzberger said he and his colleagues have been analyzing how freedom of the press has been threatened in Hungary and other nations, including in India and Brazil. He broke the elements down into a “playbook” of circumstances often seen in a media crackdown.

“It has been only eight years since Donald Trump popularized the term ‘fake news’ as a cudgel to dismiss and attack journalism that challenged him,” Sulzberger said. “That phrase, from the president of the United States, was all the encouragement many would-be authoritarians needed. In the following years, around 70 countries on six continents have enacted ‘fake news’ laws.”

Sulzberger argued the tables have now turned, with Trump and his allies looking abroad to learn from other leaders’ “anti-press techniques.”

“Make no mistake, no American political leader likes the scrutiny of the media or has a perfect record on press freedom. Every president since the country’s founding has complained about the pesky questions of reporters who seek to keep the public informed,” he wrote.

“But even with an imperfect record, both Republican and Democratic presidents, lawmakers and jurists have consistently defended and expanded protections for journalists. Over the past century in the United States, Trump stands out for his aggressive and sustained efforts to undermine the free press.”

He urged journalists to be prepared in the case these predictions come true, noting they “must be ready to continue to bring the truth to the public without fear or favor.”

The Hill reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.