Dan GillmorAs the U.S. sinks into dictatorship -- malevolent rule by corrupt politicians and oligarchs -- the institution I know the best has almost completely failed to recognize, much less counter, the threat. Big Journalism will be remembered for its cowardice and capitulation. https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog
max oakland@dangillmor This happened because media conglomeration was allowed.
McSquank (formerly: McSquank)@dangillmor seems more a partnership than cowardice or capitulation
antt5@dangillmor What do you mean "sinks"?
Elisabetta@dangillmor as Italian, this worries me much. What can we actively do to prevent this outcome in countries like ours, where autocracy is leading the way? It's not rhetorical, I honestly don't know.
Pauline@gilraen79 @dangillmor i'm from germany, i have the same fear and we can do nothing. The media are in the hand of billionaires and television in the hand of politics. It's a worldwide problem.
@Mirabeaulacht @dangillmor I agree, and I wish we could some kind of coordination in order to be able to, at least, try to do something.
Johan Diederik@dangillmor At least two trolls in the replies.
You’re hitting the nail on its head indeed.
You’re hitting the nail on its head indeed.
Grantantt5 is Russian too. Oh! What a surprise.
Vluciamonteirop@dangillmor and criminals.
Gregory Dodwell@dangillmor FROM DAY ONE, if not before. This obscene circus has been worth too many clicks. Let’s not forget network TV for creating & boosting his mythology thru trash like The Apprentice.
2 Russian trolls in this thread. I expect all your posts are affected by this?
For those wondering, open antt5 in his home server.
As for the collapse of democracy. I'm 68 and began wondering in my 20s if the post WWII effect and shaming the far-right, would last my lifetime. I think that Russia/Putin are behind almost all of what's happening today. Horrible people and we need to start telling them.
tuv@dangillmor Journalism, an inconvenient department of our publishing business that we haven't been able to optimize away
Mirishuli@dangillmor They recognised the dictatorship and the fascists. It is what they wanted, owners and journos.
martin lentink 🇪🇺 🇺🇦📎@dangillmor He has never not been aiming for dictatorship.
Truth Or Consequences ✅ 🇺🇦Using the propaganda model...news businesses favoring profit over the public interest succeed, whilst those favoring reportorial accuracy over profits fail — and are relegated to the margins of their markets (low sales and ratings).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Mass_Media)
Neil Moffatt@dangillmor In very large part because the media have been effectively commandeered by those with nefarious agendas.
Way, way too tempting for a means of influencing public opinion to be a tool for the powerful - those rich in wealth and power and profoundly poor spiritually.
SueDiOh@dangillmor Big journalism in the U.S. has been the death of our free press.
decapitae@dangillmor The silent aquiesence from those responsible for stopping it is deafening. The majority of congress kneels before shitler.
aspragg> The report identifies the UK as a “new autocratiser”, driven by “a substantial decline” in freedom of expression[…]. “In the UK, it began [with] the Elections Act 2022 […]” Lindberg says. “The Policing Act 2022 decreased civil rights and free speech. The Online Safety Act 2023 was used to penalise online speech […]. The Higher Education […] Act 2023 increased demands [to] police free speech. What’s worrying is that once the democratic backsliding begins, it’s often hard to stop.”