Joel Simon

[Commentary] During his tumultuous campaign, Donald Trump declared war on the press, pledging to “open up our libel laws” and impose fines on critical journalists if elected. Within a month of taking office, he vowed to go after leakers, comparing them to Nazis, and urged then-FBI director James Comey to jail reporters who published classified information.

[Commentary] Just under a year ago, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. How should we assess his press freedom record so far? A year into the Trump administration, here are the headlines from the Press Freedom Tracker:

[Commentary] [P]revious US presidents have been able to exert their influence around the world on behalf of press freedom, however inconsistently. The issue is not partisan, either. The Obama administration raised concerns about press freedom abuses in Egypt, Ethiopia, Turkey, China, and Vietnam; former President George W. Bush told the Today Show that he raised the issue with Russia President Vladimir Putin. Sadly, President Donald Trump has expressed no such interest in protecting this framework or setting a positive example.

In fact, while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania for his 100th day in office, Trump said the media was a "disgrace" and that members of the press were "incompetent, dishonest people." These comments are even more alarming for being part of a broader trend. Among former regional leaders such as Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, and Kenya, press freedom has deteriorated. Still, because he is the president of the United States, Trump's comments are different. As the award-winning Salvadoran reporter Óscar Martínez put it, "Trump inhabits the global showcase. In attacking the US press, he attacks all of the press and puts it at risk."

President Trump is an avowed admirer of Vladimir Putin, and his administration is under investigation for its ties to Russia. But Trump’s governing style in the first few weeks has more in common with the Latin American populists who have risen to power in the last several decades. In particular, Trump’s unrelenting attacks on the media and attempts to undermine its credibility and paint it as an opposition force are straight out the Latin American populists’ playbook. Feb 16’s press conference, in which he railed against “very fake news,” was a case in point.

[Commentary] For the first time in history, the Iranian state broadcaster livestreamed the entire 90-minute US presidential debate. This was not meant to be a civics lesson. Rather, it was an effort to highlight the dysfunctionality of the American political system to the Iranian public. That decision shows the ways in which—win or lose—the Trump campaign has eroded US standing around the world, particularly when it comes to such issues as human rights and press freedom. This may seem incidental compared with the enormous threat a Trump presidency poses to US institutions from the political parties, to the Justice Department, and the media itself. But for vulnerable journalists around the world, it’s a game changer.

When it comes to press freedom and the rights of journalists around the world, the US exercises its influence in two ways. The first is by example. But Trump has consistently trampled on America’s First Amendment tradition. The second way in which the US exercises influence is by speaking out when the rights of journalists are violated around the world. Trump has indicated he has no inclination to do so. If Trump were to be elected president, he would likely become America’s first democratator. Though he now appears likely to lose, the Trump campaign has already had a negative influence—as anyone who watched debate night from Tehran already knows.

[Joel Simon is the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.]

[Commentary] The United Nations General Assembly gets underway this week in New York, and beginning Sept 20, 195 leaders from around the world will parade before the UN’s green marble rostrum and deliver speeches. While the General Assembly may not be the world’s most productive meeting, it cannot be denied that everyone gets to have their say. Indeed the entire UN system places an extraordinary value on speech as a tool for resolving differences and managing international conflict. But on the world stage, it is often only government officials who have the chance to speak freely. Around the world, freedom of expression is under siege, and journalists are being jailed in record numbers. The UN must take action.

Leaders from around the world will enjoy free expression when they come to speak at the UN this week, but journalists who cover their speeches back home may not. If the UN—and the international community it represents—truly believes in the power of speech to solve global problems, it must do all within its power to close that gap.

[Joel Simon is the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.]