attacks on a free press
Aug
15
2018
A political cartoon depicts a classical building labeled Democracy resting on four pillars formed by rolled newspapers. The pillars bear the labels Free Press, News, Media and Press. The drawing positions journalism as the essential support for democratic institutions. The work appeared in August 2018 amid ongoing debates over press freedom and government criticism of media outlets.
Aug
15
2018
The cartoon shows the Statue of Liberty raising a copy of The Press newspaper in place of her torch. It responds to President Donald Trump's repeated labeling of the media as the enemy of the people in 2018. That summer the Boston Globe coordinated editorials from newspapers nationwide defending journalistic independence. The image uses the national symbol to counter claims that outlets such as CNN spread fake news. It underscores the role of a free press in American democracy during a period of heightened tension between the White House and news organizations.
Oct
12
2017
The cartoon by Ed Wexler published October 12, 2017, shows President Donald Trump with an angry expression and hands raised in a shrug. Two speech bubbles present his words praising freedom of the press while calling media coverage disgusting. The image responds to ongoing 2017 disputes in which Trump repeatedly labeled news reports as fake and attacked journalists. It illustrates the contradiction between stated support for press rights and criticism of actual reporting. The visual argument centers on the gap between rhetoric and practice during that period of heightened tension between the White House and major news outlets.
Feb
28
2017
The image arranges eight leaders across two rows. Each figure occupies its own panel with a single word in a speech bubble above or beside it. The words together read the press is the enemy of the people. The final panel shows the current president completing the statement.
Feb
25
2017
The cartoon shows a dog resembling Donald Trump urinating on a fire hydrant labeled Freedom of the Press. Published February 25 2017 it responds to early administration clashes with reporters over leaks and coverage. Trump had repeatedly called news outlets fake news and questioned their role. The image uses the dog and hydrant metaphor to illustrate efforts to undermine press protections. It captures the administration's pushback against traditional media scrutiny during its first month.
