On this edition of Your Call, we discuss why many journalists and media outlets are still hesitant to call Trump an authoritarian even as scholars say he is embracing authoritarian policies.
Trump has attacked the press and free speech, sent National Guard troops to US cities, deployed masked and unidentifiable ICE agents to carry out violent immigration raids, and used his power to persecute his political enemies – all classic tactics of authoritarian leaders.
In The Conversation, Dr. Karrin Vasby Anderson writes that because authoritarianism is most visible in hindsight, people often don’t recognize it until it’s too late. That’s why it’s important for journalists to label authoritarians as such when the evidence warrants.
Guests:
Dr. Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University
Mark Jacob, freelance writer, former Metro Editor at the Chicago Tribune and Sunday Editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, and author of the Stop the Presses newsletter
Resources:
The Conversation: Why journalists are reluctant to call Trump an authoritarian – and why that matters for democracy
Stop the Presses: Why won’t the media say Trump is becoming a dictator?
Stop the Presses: How news coverage eases us into tyranny
NPR: Hundreds of scholars say U.S. is swiftly heading toward authoritarianism
The Guardian: US ‘on a trajectory’ toward authoritarian rule, ex-officials warn
