Press Freedom: The Cornerstone of Democracy

Each day, this newsletter delivers top-quality journalism—exclusive scoops, in-depth investigations, frontline accounts from conflict zones and natural disasters, interviews with influential figures and unique personalities, along with stories that clarify the complexities of our world. Often, we overlook the foundation that enables this vital work.

This foundation is the freedom to ask difficult questions, to report directly from where events unfold, and to reveal truths even when they provoke controversy.

Recently, the publisher delivered a significant address at the University of Notre Dame, emphasizing how press freedoms are integral to protecting our broader civil liberties and supporting democratic governance. The full speech is accessible to the public, but I also had the opportunity to ask some follow-up questions.

Many assume that threats to journalists and media control are problems limited to authoritarian regimes. How can such challenges arise in a country that prides itself on the First Amendment?

There are two distinct forms of press suppression. The more overt and perilous type occurs in nations like China and Russia, where censorship is blatant and journalists face imprisonment or worse.

In democracies, however, a more covert and insidious approach emerges. Authorities may selectively wield investigatory or regulatory measures to intimidate reporters and news outlets, pursue baseless legal actions, or pressure business interests connected to media owners.