The Philadelphia Hall Monitor joins other supporters of the First Amendment to defend free speech. We condemn the actions of President Trump and his administration in silencing their critics with threats of deportation, arrest, and lawsuits. We stand with journalists and individuals who question the President, his administration, and his supporters and use their First Amendment rights to express dissent.
Globally, free speech and freedom of the press are under attack. This year we have seen a record number of international journalists killed in Gaza, many of whom work for U.S. media companies, and we’ve seen dozens of journalists, killed, jailed, and disappeared for reporting on government corruption and drug cartels. Here in the United States we are seeing the jailing and violent attack of journalists reporting on protests in Los Angeles, broadcast media being tear gassed at a detention center outside of Chicago, the detention of immigrant journalist Mario Guevara, the Washington Post firing Black journalist Karen Attiah, and media corporations capitulating to the demands of President Donald Trump by suspending and canceling late night talk shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. We’ve also seen networks like ABC and CBS capitulate to President Trump by settling frivolous lawsuits about journalistic content, and watched as Congress defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) because of news content that does not support the agenda of the President. These acts have had a chilling effect on journalism and free speech, and the impact is that newsrooms of every size are fearful that the government might retaliate against them for simply reporting the truth.
These attacks on free speech and the press are happening at a time when we need accurate journalism that holds people in power to account. We are also facing a local news crisis, which has resulted in a record number of counties across the U.S. that lack a source of local news, a record number of layoffs of journalists, a surge in disinformation online, more A.I.-generated news, and social media platforms that manipulate algorithms to expose us to more hateful and harmful content. To say that we are concerned is an understatement, and unfortunately, things will get worse if we do not fiercely defend our First Amendment rights and support local news.
Our rights to free speech are stated in the Bill of Rights as follows, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment’s protection to express dissent and reject a government’s call for using its power to silence critics is clear. Therefore, even those in our society who do not agree with political speech that is oppositional to theirs can accept the premise that the government should never censor speech that is protected under the First Amendment.
It’s significant to note the role of the press, and more importantly, the role of independent media when democracy is under attack. Our job is to empower the public with critical information, hold those in power to account, facilitate access to civic processes, and amplify the voices of people most impacted by harmful policies. This is why we created The Philadelphia Hall Monitor, and the reason we don’t take corporate money. We value our journalistic freedom to report the truth without fear of retribution. We value free speech in all of its forms, and we value the power of the pen to shed light on injustice.
We ask you, our supporters, to stand with us to defend the First Amendment and our rights to free speech and to support journalists and newsrooms like ours that are working to give you accurate information. Your solidarity means a lot to us, and we’ll continue to keep you informed even under these difficult circumstances, because free speech is vital for democracy.
Our reporters sit through hours of city council meetings, dig through piles of documents, and ask tough questions other media overlook. Because we’re committed to addressing Philadelphia’s poverty crisis — and challenging those who sustain it. If you think this work is important too, please support our journalism.
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