Press freedom no longer a given in the US media organisation says
“Press freedom is no longer a given in the United States 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know”, non-profit press freedom organisation Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said releasing a new report. “Most Americans continue to be concerned about potential restrictions on press freedoms in the United States. But there have been major shifts in partisan views since President Donald Trump retook office in January” Pew Research Center says in a survey.
Overall, 77% say the freedom of the press is extremely or very important to the well-being of society, up slightly from 73% in 2024. An additional 17% say press freedom is somewhat important to society, while just 5% say it has little or no importance, the Pew survey shows.
“Overall, seven-in-ten Americans are at least somewhat concerned about potential restrictions on press freedom. This includes 43% who say they are extremely or very concerned.”
The numbers are almost identical to the findings of an April 2024 survey, when 41% said they were extremely or very concerned and an additional 29% were somewhat concerned.
“Today, under the new Trump administration, a majority of Democrats (60%) are highly concerned about press freedoms – about double the share of Republicans (28%).”
The survey comes as the Trump administration has taken several actions against US news organisations that have alarmed press freedom advocates. One example is that the White House banned world news agency Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One over an editorial dispute over the name “Gulf of Mexico”.
Donald Trump has signed an executive order that the gulf be renamed Gulf of America. Some have followed Trump’s order but not, for instance, the AP.
The issue is making its way through the legal system after a judge ruled it a First Amendment violation.
“On a separate question in our new survey, a majority of Americans say the US news media is not completely free to report the news.”
Overall, a third of Americans say the media is completely free to report the news. The largest share (46%) say the media is somewhat free in this regard, while 21% say it is either not very or not at all free.
Large majorities of Americans believe that US news organizations are at least somewhat influenced by corporations and financial interests (85%) or by the government and political interests (86%).
This includes over half of Americans who say news organisations are influenced a great deal by financial interests (55%) or by political interests (57%).
The share of US adults who say news organisations are influenced a great deal by government and political interests has risen from 49% in 2024 to 57% in 2025.
CPJ says the first 100 days of the Trump administration have been marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms.
“These measures threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population.”
CPJ says it has noted a significant increase in the number of newsrooms seeking safety advice, concerned that the changing national political environment could threaten their ability to report without fear of retribution from authorities.
CPJ is calling on the public, the media, civil society, and all branches, levels, and institutions of government – from municipalities to the US Supreme Court – to safeguard press freedom to help secure the future of American democracy.
“These are not normal times for American press freedoms. In the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term, there have been a startling number of actions that, taken together, threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population.”
“From denying access to upending respect for the independence of a free press to vilifying news organisations to threatening reprisals, this administration has begun to exert its power to punish or reward based on coverage. Whether in the states or on the streets, this behaviour is setting a new standard for how the public can treat journalists.”
“The uncertainty and fear resulting from these actions have caused requests for safety advice to increase as journalists and newsrooms aim to prepare for what might be next.”
CPJ says that some media business owners, like The Washington Post’s Jeff Bezos and the Los Angeles Times’ Patrick Soon-Shiong, have realigned their publications’ opinion pages in reaction to changing political tides, triggering resignations among their staffs.
“Both men have said the decisions were motivated by a desire to protect their respective newspapers’ credibility.”
“Bezos, whose cloud computing and rocket companies boast billions in government contracts, was among the tech sector guests, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, given prominent seating at Trump’s inauguration after donating a million dollars to the inaugural fund. In fall 2024, the Post also made the decision that the paper should forgo a presidential endorsement for the first time in decades.”
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