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Shots fired at Donald Trump shocked many politicians and journalists. This event made journalists rethink their approach to reporting, but the results have been quite depressing.
It’s not surprising. Non-right-wing media and democratic groups struggle to effectively deal with far-right populists like Trump. The assassination attempt highlights this struggle and makes finding a solution even harder.
Right after Trump’s shooting, many centrist and progressive commentators warned against self-censorship due to far-right accusations. David Rothkopf from the Daily Beast stressed that “Unity doesn’t mean covering up the truth about Donald Trump.” In the Guardian, Jan-Werner Müller from Princeton University urged journalists not to back down from criticizing authoritarianism, even if it’s seen as inciting violence.
This highlights a bigger issue in the US and other Western countries.
How to report on the far-right
While the media still wrestles with how to report on the far-right, many journalists have long warned about its authoritarian nature, yet support for it keeps growing. Journalists aren’t politicians or activists, but defending a free press is crucial for democracy. The question is how best to do this.
