MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Press freedom is, quote, "no longer a given in the United States." That's, according to a new report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists - that's a nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom around the world. CPJ normally waits about a year into any new presidential administration to evaluate its impact on the free press - but under the current administration, the group decided to act sooner. Here to tell us more is Katherine Jacobsen, lead author of the CPJ Report, and she's the program coordinator for the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. Good morning, Katherine. Thanks so much for joining us.
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: Good morning. Thanks so much for having me.
MARTIN: So what led your team to conclude that press freedom is, quote, "no longer a given in the United States?" That's actually a pretty disturbing statement.
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: Yes, indeed. So the first 100 days of the Trump administration were marked by a flurry of executive actions that we concluded have created a real chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms. So what we're talking about are challenges to access - so journalists being able to even get into the White House for various events that they would previously have been able to have access to. We're talking about the weaponization of regulatory bodies and legal frameworks against news organizations as well - in addition to continued targeted attacks against journalists in newsrooms. And it's - all of these actions kind of taken individually might seem like a one-off case, but when put together, paint a really alarming picture of deteriorating media freedom in the U.S.
MARTIN: What do you think it means in practice, especially around the country? I think many people might be aware of certain actions directed at media organizations based in Washington, D.C. But what about elsewhere?
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: Yeah, so it might seem like insider baseball in D.C. - right? - things that are happening far away. But it's not. It's really creating a permission structure for local leaders to behave this way, both in the United States and then globally, as well, right? What happens in the White House matters. And when the Associated Press - one of the world's largest news organizations - can't get into certain White House events because of decisions they've made about calling a body of water the Gulf of Mexico versus Gulf of America - right? - that has real impact on, you know, journalists' ability to do their work and also ability for the American public more broadly to have an understanding of what's happening in those rooms that organizations are excluded from.
MARTIN: I assume that you reached out to the White House about these findings. Did you get a response?
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: We did not, no.
MARTIN: So let me note here that NPR and public media are explicitly mentioned in your report. President Trump signed an executive order last week that seeks to end federal funding. The Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether NPR's corporate sponsorship credits comply with federal regulations. Other news organizations like CBS and 60 Minutes have been targeted with lawsuits. And as you just mentioned, the White House has been in sort of a legal battle with the Associated Press over access to presidential events. When you consider all these actions together, what do you think the administration's trying to do?
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: You know, it's difficult to say what they're trying to do, but, in effect, what's happening is that it's creating a less free media environment and creating a chilling effect, which in some ways is very difficult to quantify, very difficult to undo - and the impact, I think, will be felt for decades to come, quite frankly. It's kind of the intangible, you know, of slowing down the process of reporting and scaring off news outlets from covering stories that the administration perhaps might not want to be covered.
MARTIN: Before we let you go, just 30 seconds here. Does your organization have advice for journalists and news organizations?
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: Yes. I think continue doing your job. There are lots of organizations to support you. And I think it's really important for Americans to understand the role that journalists play as watchdogs in their community. You know, what reporters do is really hold power to account. And without a robust and free press, it's very difficult to have that accountability.
MARTIN: Katherine Jacobsen is the lead author of a new report about diminishing press freedom in the United States by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Katherine Jacobsen, thank you for joining us.
KATHERINE JACOBSEN: Thanks so much for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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