Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1786 to his close friend Dr. James Currie, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."
But ever since Ronald Reagan stopped enforcing the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1983, leading to an explosion of acquisitions and mergers, and Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, leading to an even more startling concentration of media in a very few hands, freedom of the press in America has become as much an economic issue as a political one.
This is problematic, because no democracy can survive intact when only one voice or political perspective overwhelmingly dominates any major branch of the media.
Literally hundreds of right-wing talk show hosts, both local and national, are broadcasting every day, all day, in every town or city in America.
Progressive voices, on the other hand, are few and far between; in most parts of America (and virtually all of rural America), the only radio signal that carries any progressive programming whatsoever is SiriusXM, which requires a subscription and special receiver -- costs that are hard to bear among voters in the reddest states where Republican policies have destroyed unions and exported jobs overseas, thus leading to widespread poverty.
Jefferson made his comment about newspapers being vital to America just at the time he was being most viciously attacked in the newspapers.
The core requisite of democracy is debate. When there's only a single predominant voice in the media, American democracy itself is at greatest risk, be that voice on the right or the left.
If Tom Steyer wants to see Trump impeached, wants to see a semblance of balance on our airwaves, and wants a positive, healing, life-affirming progressive message available in every town in America, he should buy iHeartMedia tomorrow morning...
This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute.
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