This, even more than the election of a misogynist bigoted lying cheating felon, worries me. Without a true free press, we have no voice against the oppressors.
I read where Trump now has PBS in his sights. At the very time when many of we middle classes (I.e., those of us living on modest Social Security and retirement savings, equalling about $60,000/year) have less and less spare change. We MUST save PBS but how do we do that when Trump is taking away our extra money? (Would that my other middle class friends would recognize that instead of lauding how Trump is making America great again.)
Stated like a true patriot and professional who cares about journalism and its crucial role in protecting our democracy. Thank you Dan for writing the unvarnished truth.
Dear Dan, having a bit of a rough time now personally, but gotta tell you this after reading this essay. I had the craziest dream last night, and it was so real. I dreamt there were nazis here and all across America. They were all in uniforms…it was so real. I woke up remembering the dream, and thought to myself…”who the hell dreams of nazis?” I think I’m losing it Buddy, either that or
Dear Dan, having a bit of a rough time now personally, but gotta tell you this after reading this essay. I had the craziest dream last night, and it was so real. I dreamt there were nazis here and all across America. They were all in uniforms…it was so real. I woke up remembering the dream, and thought to myself…”who the hell dreams of nazis?” I think I’m losing it Buddy, either that or
Trump truely showed his ASS again this week with his comments on the mid air tragedy and it appears Peter Alexander is going to be his new punching bag God help us
Yes independent but I view the ideal that "everyone having a voice online is good for democracy" as the wrong one. We have a shortfall of Dan Rather, that single trusted voice who is not a clown for laughs or trolling for what's viral. We have to pull together on the facts as a country, get it straight and reach a consensus. I once served Dan Rather an espresso in a kiosk in a building in downtown Austin. My particular job was make a good crema on that cup.
The takeover of the press scares me, but it also makes me angry. The people in our society who were put in place to protect us from exactly the abuses that are happening now just seem to be turning a blind eye or falling all over themselves to comply. Trump has taken several actions since assuming office that are objectively illegal, and no one has made a peep--the system of checks and balances is no longer either checking or balancing. One man can't destroy democracy without our cooperation, but it unfortunately looks like he has it. And now NPR and PBS are being directly attacked as part of this same strategy, and I'm wondering if there's anything or anyone that we can count on.
PBS/NPR do receive some public funding but it is no where near the lion’s share of the budget. Corporate underwriting, individual memberships, member stations dues and CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, are the main revenue stream.
Based on past Republican evil deeds, they are again trying to shutdown any media that doesn't tow their line. This time it is NPR and PBS by labeling their Sponsor recognition as commercials. They are becoming more Facist by the hour. They can't stand it when their lies are pointed out. Our Public media is going to need alot of help fending off Trump and his mafia.
I’ve had a creepy feeling that some of the news was playing nice to the President, weirdly I got that feeling from last Monday’s Daily Show. Although Jon Stewart is right the Democrats do need to stop whining and get into action themselves.
This scares me more that our current administration.
Please keep us the people informed with the truth please don’t knuckle under his personal threats. Stay strong, stay steady, we need you!!!
Thank you for this, Dan. I now get most of my news from substack writers. Having purchased WaPo for the year, I can’t even cancel it unfortunately. And keeping it for my local DC metro section is hardly worth it. Still keeping NYT for now, and hoping they won’t do “both sides” reporting. I am old enough to remember turning on the news and just hearing “this happened today in that place” and that’s all. Long time back we cut the cord and stopped cable news. Rachel Maddow is still worth a listen.
We need to have the news reported objectively. Yet most of the news organizations are bowing to Trump. This is not good for any of us.
I think a good example is how Trump is “managing” the news about the recent airplane crash in Washington DC. He used it to push his hatred of DEI. Yet he had no facts about the crash and there was still many missing bodies. We need to have balance news not the ravings of an unbalance mind.
This, even more than the election of a misogynist bigoted lying cheating felon, worries me. Without a true free press, we have no voice against the oppressors.
I read where Trump now has PBS in his sights. At the very time when many of we middle classes (I.e., those of us living on modest Social Security and retirement savings, equalling about $60,000/year) have less and less spare change. We MUST save PBS but how do we do that when Trump is taking away our extra money? (Would that my other middle class friends would recognize that instead of lauding how Trump is making America great again.)
ABC, CBS, now CNN? What news network is next? 😒
You are a light in the darkness.
Stated like a true patriot and professional who cares about journalism and its crucial role in protecting our democracy. Thank you Dan for writing the unvarnished truth.
Dear Dan, having a bit of a rough time now personally, but gotta tell you this after reading this essay. I had the craziest dream last night, and it was so real. I dreamt there were nazis here and all across America. They were all in uniforms…it was so real. I woke up remembering the dream, and thought to myself…”who the hell dreams of nazis?” I think I’m losing it Buddy, either that or
Dear Dan, having a bit of a rough time now personally, but gotta tell you this after reading this essay. I had the craziest dream last night, and it was so real. I dreamt there were nazis here and all across America. They were all in uniforms…it was so real. I woke up remembering the dream, and thought to myself…”who the hell dreams of nazis?” I think I’m losing it Buddy, either that or
Trump truely showed his ASS again this week with his comments on the mid air tragedy and it appears Peter Alexander is going to be his new punching bag God help us
Yes independent but I view the ideal that "everyone having a voice online is good for democracy" as the wrong one. We have a shortfall of Dan Rather, that single trusted voice who is not a clown for laughs or trolling for what's viral. We have to pull together on the facts as a country, get it straight and reach a consensus. I once served Dan Rather an espresso in a kiosk in a building in downtown Austin. My particular job was make a good crema on that cup.
PBS is next on the chopping block.
The takeover of the press scares me, but it also makes me angry. The people in our society who were put in place to protect us from exactly the abuses that are happening now just seem to be turning a blind eye or falling all over themselves to comply. Trump has taken several actions since assuming office that are objectively illegal, and no one has made a peep--the system of checks and balances is no longer either checking or balancing. One man can't destroy democracy without our cooperation, but it unfortunately looks like he has it. And now NPR and PBS are being directly attacked as part of this same strategy, and I'm wondering if there's anything or anyone that we can count on.
Project 2025. Section 2. Article 8. Calls for defunding PBS and NPR. At least North Dakota already has a bill in the legislature to do just that.
PBS/NPR do receive some public funding but it is no where near the lion’s share of the budget. Corporate underwriting, individual memberships, member stations dues and CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, are the main revenue stream.
Based on past Republican evil deeds, they are again trying to shutdown any media that doesn't tow their line. This time it is NPR and PBS by labeling their Sponsor recognition as commercials. They are becoming more Facist by the hour. They can't stand it when their lies are pointed out. Our Public media is going to need alot of help fending off Trump and his mafia.
I’ve had a creepy feeling that some of the news was playing nice to the President, weirdly I got that feeling from last Monday’s Daily Show. Although Jon Stewart is right the Democrats do need to stop whining and get into action themselves.
This scares me more that our current administration.
Please keep us the people informed with the truth please don’t knuckle under his personal threats. Stay strong, stay steady, we need you!!!
Thank you for this, Dan. I now get most of my news from substack writers. Having purchased WaPo for the year, I can’t even cancel it unfortunately. And keeping it for my local DC metro section is hardly worth it. Still keeping NYT for now, and hoping they won’t do “both sides” reporting. I am old enough to remember turning on the news and just hearing “this happened today in that place” and that’s all. Long time back we cut the cord and stopped cable news. Rachel Maddow is still worth a listen.
Lawrence O’Donnell too.
We need to have the news reported objectively. Yet most of the news organizations are bowing to Trump. This is not good for any of us.
I think a good example is how Trump is “managing” the news about the recent airplane crash in Washington DC. He used it to push his hatred of DEI. Yet he had no facts about the crash and there was still many missing bodies. We need to have balance news not the ravings of an unbalance mind.