Summary
Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that media self-censorship and legal intimidation from Trump pose a major threat to press freedom.
He criticized CBS for reportedly considering a settlement in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview and ABC for paying $15 million to settle Trump-related defamation claims.
Sanders also condemned Trump’s lawsuit against a pollster for unfavorable election polling.
Media owners have faced scrutiny for restricting anti-Trump coverage, fueling concerns that press freedoms are eroding even before any government crackdown.
And I’m saying the first begets the second.
You don’t become a media organization that bends the knee overnight, it’s a death by a thousand cuts. Those cuts are things like sitting on a story for the government when you don’t have to.