Board Editorial: What will happen to the First Amendment? – Los Angeles Loyolan (subscription)

We are in an unprecedented era when it comes to the First Amendment and what happens in the next few years could decide the limits of our right to free speech for generations to come. Part of what makes this time feel so foreign is the amount of outlets people now have access to for exercising free speech. The internet has given rise to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where open public discourse can happen easily and frequently. And nobody has taken advantage of the power of social media more than President Donald Trump through his infamous Twitter account. But this era is also unprecedented because of the unique way in which President Trump has tried to suppress the press so early in his presidency.

The President has a very strained relationship with the truth and has shown his capacity to use his influence by branding media outlets who dont align with his reality as Fake News. President Trump has even called what is known as the mainstream media the enemy of the American people. Breitbart a heavily right-winged outlet whose wanton reports more often than not instigate the Presidents Twitter tirades is getting preferential treatment over outlets like CNN. Both conservatives and liberals have agreed that the Presidents suppression of the media is troubling. Former President George W. Bush recently said that the media is indispensable to democracy and necessary for holding people in power accountable.

While the Loyolan is a university publication, we are responsible for truly expressing our First Amendment rights. In the world of today, the press is an easy target. If someone doesnt like something written about them, they blame the media for their image rather than themselves. As a college paper, it is our duty to ensure that the First Amendment remains vital to the people, calling attention to wrongs that the people cannot fight themselves. It is our job to make the world more transparent and try to keep the government honest in this age of confusion.

We at the Loyolan are not the only journalists who have cause for concern. In light of the current political climate and President Trumps clashing relationship with the media, the Washington Post updated its slogan in Feb. to Democracy Dies in Darkness. True though that slogan may be, we maintain that the Loyolan is Your Home. Your Voice. Your News. Especially in this nation where our president is constantly trying to shut out and shut down the press, it is crucial that people in positions of power, like Trump, understand that at the end of the day, we are just that, Your Voice.

This week marks the Loyolans annual First Amendment Week. However, this doesnt necessarily imply a celebration. While the current administration is trying to strip our freedoms from us, we must use events like these to open a discussion within the community so that we can all reach a common understanding of what the role of the media is.

Americas freedom of the press serves as a pillar to the First Amendment. In regards to the media and journalism in the face of the Trump administration, Oscar Wilde once said, In America, the President reigns for four years, and Journalism governs forever and ever. With this in mind, take this week to reflect on the importance of our First Amendment rights and how pertinent freedom of the press is to our democracy here in the U.S.

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Board Editorial: What will happen to the First Amendment? - Los Angeles Loyolan (subscription)