Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Press Freedom topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lawmaker warns press is first target of authoritarian consolidation and urges vigilance
Summary
The speaker warned that the media is typically targeted early when regimes consolidate power and urged journalists and lawmakers to "get the truth out" about perceived ideological threats. She said protecting a free press is vital to preventing authoritarian erosion.
The lawmaker warned that when regimes consolidate power, "the press is the 1st 1 to go," and described state-run media as a common tool of authoritarian governments. She urged journalists and elected officials to spread information about perceived threats and to remain vigilant against efforts she characterized as seeking to reduce press freedom.
She framed the warning as part of a broader appeal to colleagues and the media, saying it is "incumbent upon all of us to get the truth out there about the threats that we are facing as a country." The transcript records the admonition without any response from other participants or specific proposals for legislative or investigatory follow-up.
