For democracy to flourish, we must fight the assault on free press
Preview:
On Oct. 2, a journalist entered the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul. He was an outspoken critic of the Saudi government and wrote for the Washington Post. Once those consulate doors closed, he never came back out. Government officials of several countries, and most recently the CIA, believe he was murdered on orders from the Saudi crown prince. Today, around the world, a free and robust press is under assault. Journalists face jail time, or worse. Online forums are censored. News organizations are dubbed “enemies of the people” and fact-based reporting is smeared as fake news.
Originally published: December 4, 2018
Author: Amy Gutmann
Position: President
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Published by: The Philadelphia Inquirer