Shortly after coming to power in Germany, the Nazis moved to assume control over the press. The Editors Law, passed in October 1933, forbade Jews and their families from working in the profession, and it established mandates requiring editors to omit anything “calculated to weaken the strength of the Reich abroad or at home.” Those who failed to follow these mandates could be fired or even imprisoned.
President Trump’s relentless attacks on the press make it clear that he would be delighted to have his own “Editors Law.” From a very long list of examples, I shall cite just a few:
1. Any story that does not flatter him is “fake news.”<br>2. News organizations are “enemies of the American people,” and unsympathetic reporters are “scum,” “slime,” “disgusting” and “dishonest.”<br>3. He has sought to change libel laws to make it easier to sue reporters and news organizations who publish unflattering material.<br>4. He has threatened to cancel the broadcast licenses of media companies that provide negative coverage of him.
Control of the press was an extremely important tool in the hands of the Nazis. We must do everything in our power to prevent such a disaster in our country.
Craig K. Rushforth, Kaysville