To the editor: In discussing President Trump’s conflicts with the press, it may be more relevant to compare his actions, not with previous presidents’, but with the tactics of those he admires such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (“‘60 Minutes,’ the Associated Press, an Iowa newspaper: Trump’s attacks on the media reach new heights,” March 4). There is no free press in Russia or Turkey because those leaders have followed the dictator playbook of Josef Stalin and others. Where are we headed?
Judy Donais Hulme, Hermosa Beach
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To the editor: It is laughable that this article would state: “The news media, which prides itself on being Americans’ watchdog…” Americans have not relied on the news media for years. We were lied to about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, about Russian collusion and so many other subjects. The news media was complicit in withholding the truth, and the public is sick of it. Trump is not attacking the media; he is holding it accountable, and the media doesn’t like it.
Steve Tye, Diamond Bar
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To the editor: President Trump’s accusations against CNN and his denigration of journalists as “enemies of the people” reminded me of what Yuval Noah Harari wrote in his 2024 book, “Nexus”:
“The most common method strong men use to undermine democracy is to attack self-correcting mechanisms, one by one, often beginning with the courts and the media. The typical strong man either deprives courts of their powers or packs them with his loyalists and seeks to close all independent media outlets while building his own omnipresent propaganda machine.”
Trump not only denounces various media outlets for what he calls “fake news,” he also constantly criticizes judges and challenges judicial oversight of the executive branch. It is indeed frightening how fragile democracy is and how easily it can be threatened.
Vivien Irving, Huntington Beach
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To the editor: There’s nothing new with Trump’s attack strategy on legacy (legitimate) media. This is an age-old tactic of autocrats to kneecap any potential opposition to their power and control. This was a favorite ploy of fascist leaders a century ago.
Bob Teigan, Santa Susana
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To the editor: I am begging news outlets to fight against the short-term ease of paying off the president rather than standing up for the important duty of reporting the news and saving our democracy from being cowed into submitting to threats from this administration. Take it to court. Freedom of the press is to be defended by the Constitution! Please find the duty and spine to fight back!
Rita Skinner, Riverside
