One of five commentaries from the 13 November 2024 event in the Panel Discussion Series: American Election 2024, from The Finsbury Institute, City International Policy Studies, and the Research Group on Global (Dis)Order.
By Dr Lea Hellmuller
The outcome of this November’s election will likely have a significant impact on global media culture for decades to come. The good news is that there is strong public support for independent journalism and freedom of the press. According to a Pew Research poll from April 2024, 73% of U.S. adults believe that freedom of the press is extremely or very important to the well-being of society.
However, during one of the largest election years in history, governments worldwide are failing to protect independent media. A recent report by Reporters Without Borders highlights a troubling pattern of political disregard for journalists’ safety.
Donald Trump’s campaign was no exception, as it witnessed the delegitimization and destruction of a profession crucial to democratic governance and media freedom. Trump made it clear that he expected journalism to serve a lapdog function and threatened to obstruct any member of the press who became too critical.
In such incidents, the pressure on journalism to relinquish its cultural capital and professionalism as an independent branch of government sharply contrasts with its economic capital, namely corporate ownership and business interests. This response to threats resulted in censorship and a negative impact on journalistic values.
Remarkably, The Washington Post, known for exposing a scandal that brought down a president and introducing the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” in 2017, refrained from endorsing Kamala Harris after their owners intervened at the last minute. This was the first time in 36 years that The Washington Post did not endorse a presidential candidate. They were not alone; only about 30% of the nation’s top 100-circulation newspapers endorsed a presidential candidate in 2024, according to an Axios analysis.
These endorsements or the lack thereof, indicate where the institution of journalism is heading as Nik Usher writes: “The failure to endorse a presidential candidate must be seen not just as an abdication of moral leadership, but as a deeply concerning sign that the economic fragility of the American news media has compromised news judgment itself” (Nik Usher, 2024).
In this moment, it is important to remember the cultural capital of journalism—its moral voice and its contribution to society’s well-being, as highlighted by the Pew poll and to understand its fragility as economic culture may diminish its relevant. The journalism industry as a community of practice will be crucial in this discussion as seen in 2018 when around 350 newspapers across the U.S. used their editorial pages to defend their autonomy and their crucial role in society against Trump’s anti-media and fake news attacks.
