“If we don’t hold them accountable, who will?”
Ben Bradlee (played by Tom Hanks in the 2017 film The Post), the fearless editor of The Washington Post, raises this question in the dimly lit conference room of the newspaper’s headquarters.
Shadows flicker against the stern faces of the executives, editors, and legal advisors gathered for a momentous decision -- one that will define their careers and could strip them of their freedom.
“The only way to assert the right to publish is to publish.”
Katharine Graham (played by Meryl Streep) responds, her unwavering resolve masked by a composed exterior. Once an unlikely publisher, thrust into her role by tragedy, she now stands at the eye of a storm. Her greatest test lies before her: the choice to publish the explosive Pentagon Papers.
“You could go to prison; you could lose the paper. You could lose everything.”
Arthur Parsons (played by Bradley Whitford) warns. Around them, board members and lawyers urge restraint, their voices layered with caution and fear of the inevitable backlash.
In the larger context, the Nixon administration looms ominously, its shadow extending over the press. This is no mere battle for survival – it is a confrontation with history itself.
“This is no longer my father’s company, it’s no longer my husband’s company. It’s mine. And anyone who thinks otherwise probably doesn’t belong on my board.”
Graham declares, marking her transformation from a reluctant leader to a resolute publisher who stands firm on her principles.
“We’ve got to make this decision ourselves, Katharine.
Bradlee stresses.
“I’m not asking for your permission, Ben. I’m asking for your advice.”
Graham replies.
The gravity of their choice saturates the air, as Graham, strengthened by Bradlee’s words, rises to meet the demands of journalistic duty. In her silence, the room holds its breath; with her resolve, the future of the free press hangs in the balance.
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governor.”
Bradlee’s words, quoting Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, crystallize the First Amendment’s purpose and the moral imperative driving them forward.
The scene builds to Graham’s decisive moment, where she signals the go-ahead to publish -- a triumph for press freedom, underscored by her personal growth as she assumes her role as a true leader in media.
That was over fifty years ago. Today, The Washington Post, with its tagline Democracy Dies in Darkness seems unrecognizable compared to Graham’s heyday.
As I write this, three members of its editorial board have resigned and more than 250,000 readers have canceled their subscriptions. The issue? The Post will not endorse a presidential candidate in this year’s election. The editorial board had reportedly drafted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris before billionaire publisher Jeff Bezos dismissed it.
“[The non-endorsement] is an effort by Jeff Bezos to curry favor with Donald Trump in anticipation of his possible victory,” says Robert Kagan, a columnist and opinion editor-at-large who had been with the paper for 25 years -- publicly resigned as a direct result of the non-endorsement.
“This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty,” former Executive Director Marty Baron stated to Vanity Fair.
A typical reader’s comment on the issue hits close to the truth:
“Let’s be clear. The fundamental problem is billionaires owning the major news outlet. When their personal wealth, power, and self-aggrandizement are threatened, the response is the same. It’s not really a different response than most people would have when threatened.”
CNN analyst Allison Morrow echoes the threat, writing:
“If reelected, Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to exact revenge on the people and institutions he perceives as a threat. His ‘enemies’ list seems to be constantly growing as the election nears, and includes Democratic politicians, the media, lawyers and political donors…”
CNN reports, Big Tech CEOs are calling Trump, seeking to rekindle their relationship with the former president ahead of Election Day.
The current situation in U.S. media, demonstrated by the Jeff Bezos affair, parallels a similar struggle in the Philippines, as I discussed in my April 25, 2023, ATABAY article Is Philippines Turning into Informational Autocracy? Here’s an excerpt:
><><
Let’s look at [the Philippine’s] present informational ecosystem to get an inkling. The Manila Times’ Rigoberto Tiglao’s column Marcos’ advantage: An acquiescent press speaks volumes and spot on:
“The [Philippine] Star... can’t offend the Palace, and would be quick to fire any columnist creating trouble for the First Couple…
"[T]he Philippine Daily Inquirer [PDI] has lost its belligerence... lost a lot when the Duterte administration took away from them the government-owned Mile-Long Commercial Center... likely etched into their heads the lesson that it certainly isn’t financially rewarding to go against a government… Marcos’ cousin, Philip Romualdez, is the husband of Alexandra Prieto, the owning clan’s main representative in running the newspaper.
"Romualdez also owns the tabloid People’s Tonight…
"Philip’s brother, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, owns the Manila Standard…
"The Manila Bulletin has always very strictly supported whoever is in power…
"The Manila Times... owned by Dante A. Ang [former President GMA’s senior publicist, FPRRD's appointed Special Envoy for International Public Relations, and now PBBM’s Chairman of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas]...
"Daily Tribune... is said to be close to [FPRRD]... among its columnists are former Duterte chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo [he is now a Manila Times columnist] and presidential special assistant Christopher Lawrence 'Bong' Go..."
Tiglao observes, "I don’t think there’s ever been such a tight hold over the media by an administration.”
Cartoon by Angelo Lopez of Cartoon Movement
><><
Oddly enough, the warning for America doesn’t come from within its border but from its little brother, the Philippines. Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, who has courageously stood against disinformation and governmental repression in the Philippines, issues a sobering reminder that democracy is at stake in the U.S. election.
Her words resonate far beyond the Philippines, striking a universal chord in any society where the foundation of truth, trust, and law are tested.
“If you have no facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without these three, we have no shared reality, no rule of law. We have no democracy. If we lack integrity, there is no integrity in our elections.”
Ressa’s warning speaks not only to the fragility of democratic institutions but also to the responsibilities borne by the press, fact-checkers, and even social media platforms, whose influence now shapes public opinion on an unprecedented scale.
It underscores a broader struggle going beyond political affiliation, reaching into the core values of any democratic society: transparency, accountability, and an informed citizenry.
In an age when powerful forces – from billionaires to governments– can manipulate narratives, the press has a higher calling to uphold the truth. The Washington Post’s iconic tagline, Democracy Dies in Darkness, once an emblem of resilience, now serves as a cautionary reminder of what can happen when the lights begin to dim when economic interests and political pressures erode the integrity of our newsrooms.
The choice to heed Ressa’s warning is ours. Will we demand a press that serves the people, not power? Will we support journalism that stands as a pillar of democracy? Or will we sit back as truth becomes a casualty in the war of influence?
In essence, democracy doesn’t die in a single, decisive moment. It fades, quietly, in increments – when facts are contested, when voices are silenced, and when vigilance gives way to apathy.
And if America, like so many others, doesn’t heed this call to defend the integrity of its institutions, it might find itself mourning the loss of a democracy that vanished in the dark.
Content and editing put together in collaboration with ChatGPT
Head collage photos courtesy of Wikipedia & Spreadshirt
Still photos courtesy of Graham Media Group, Redbubble, Wallpaper Cave, grupobcc.com, Manila Times cartoon, & White House Historical Association
No comments:
Post a Comment