The relationship between president-elect Donald Trump and the media is a complicated one — one that flips from courting to condemnation. At times, he appears to revel in the attention, basking in the light of it. At others, he lashes out and attacks, naming the media to be an “enemy of the people.”
His political game has already had detrimental effects on the media; it’s destroyed public trust, encased outlets in countless legal cases, and created unrest between politicians and the journalists who cover them. Now, with a second Trump presidency on the horizon, preparation for a new wave of media-hostile policies is to be expected.
Enter Project 2025 — the sweeping federal policy agenda designed to radically restructure the executive branch. Authored by former Trump administration officials in collaboration with The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, Project 2025 outlines a transformative vision for federal governance. Its centerpiece, a 900-plus page document titled “Mandate for Leadership,” serves as a detailed manual for overhauling federal agencies to align with a conservative agenda, reshaping the government agency by agency.
Within the Mandate, Project 2025 looks to implement extreme policy agendas, affecting quite literally every aspect of American life. This includes abortion, immigration, voting, the environment, the current structure of the government itself, and, notably, the role of media in the government.
Section 2, chapter 8 of the Mandate, titled “Media Agencies,” proposes placing congressionally funded public media, such as Voice of America (VOA), under the authority of the State Department. VOA provides news and information in 48 languages to a weekly audience of more than 326 million people worldwide, according to statistics provided within the Mandate. Importantly, these satellite transmissions reach countries where free speech is banned. However, despite its reach, the Mandate calls for the VOA to be moved under “direct supervision and control” of the War and State Departments, limiting the journalistic integrity of its coverage.
Furthermore, within chapter 8, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is identified as a drain on taxpayer funding. CPB, which in-part funds the work of PBS and NPR, allows universal access to non-commercial telecommunication services — services that are undeniably important to Americans. As well, with funding cut from PBS and NPR, two stations that have worked to increase and sustain local news outlets, important coverage in regional communities of America is then lost.
As the Mandate points out, every Republican president since Nixon has tried to strip the CPB of its funding. However, for Project 2025, this simply means it must be completed during Trump’s term “despite opposition from congressional members of his own party if necessary.”
While Trump has claimed he was “unaware” of Project 2025, at least 140 former members who worked in the Trump administration contributed to its creation. Regardless of his feigned ignorance, the interests of Project 2025 and his own seem to overlap more often than not.
In his first term, Trump unsuccessfully proposed to completely eliminate CPB’s funding. He has called for the broadcast licenses for NBC, ABC, and others to be revoked when they’ve displeased him in one way or another, and has also called for funding to be cut from NPR entirely.
Time and time again, Trump has made one thing clear: the media is his (and the American people’s) enemy — and this should be terrifying. Any erosion of journalistic independence risks weakening democracy itself. By undermining public trust in the media and reducing access to vital, independent reporting, these policies could profoundly impact our democratic institution and the ability of the public to make informed decisions.
Fighting Trump’s intended outcome for the media will not be easy. However, it is necessary. And, moreover, the solution comes in two parts.
First, the media has to gain the trust of Americans. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 31% of the public trusts that mass media reports news “fully, accurately, and fairly.” Mainstream media requires a qualitative, reflective restructuring if it wishes to survive. Half of Americans woke up on Nov. 7 feeling duped — the president-elect was successful in virtually every category possible, despite the narrative many large networks had projected.
Second, there is currently no federal protection for journalists. This must change. The Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act is a bipartisan federal shield law designed to safeguard the confidentiality of journalists’ sources. In January 2024, it was passed by the House unanimously. It is of utmost importance that this is passed in the Senate with its current Democratic majority before Trump assumes power in order to ensure journalistic integrity and source confidentiality. As citizens, we have a duty to uphold the freedom of the press and to protect the democratic process: call or write to your state senator today and urge them to support the PRESS Act.
In a Trump presidency, journalists stand to lose a lot. However, Americans stand to lose more. The Trump Administration and Project 2025 have placed the media as the opposition, willing to cut funds and resources where they see fit. This cannot be allowed. Just as journalists have an obligation to cover unbiased, reliable news, Americans have an obligation to protect their right to do so.
