Democracy Now! "Murder the Truth": David Enrich on Right-wing Campaign to Silence Journalism & Protect the Powerful

Mar 20, 2025 | The new book Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful by The New York Times business investigations editor David Enrich chronicles an ongoing campaign by the wealthy and powerful to overturn the landmark Supreme Court decision New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which in 1964 established bedrock protections against spurious defamation and libel cases in the U.S. legal system. By "subject[ing] people to this torturous, long-running and extremely expensive legal process," those who can afford to pay for expensive and threatening defamation lawsuits can silence any public criticism and suppress others' rights to free speech, says Enrich. "It has huge implications for our democracy and the ability of everyone to speak their mind."

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How Dangerous Is It to Be a Journalist in the Arab World? l Inside Story

Turkish sources say investigators have found 'important samples' at the Saudi consulate in the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

The case of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shocked and capitvated the world, as information trickles out about his disappearance, and possible murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Beyond the gruesome details, at the core of this story is a journalist, who had been threatened for his reporting and opinions.

Khashoggi wrote critically about the Saudi government, warning the world, that Saudi Arabia could never be a democracy under the current crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. He highlighted the plight and struggles of journalists in his country, saying there was no space for free speech since journalists and intellectuals are often jailed for expressing their views. So, how much of a threat are journalists to Arab governments?

Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Saad Al-Faqih - Saudi dissident; Ravi Prasad - Director of Advocacy with the International Press Institute; David Hearst - Editor in Chief of the Middle East Eye.

The Future of Journalism under President Trump - The Listening Post

Two French Journalists Arrested in Blackmail of Moroccan King

THE TELEGRAPH: Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet are accused of demanding £2.2 million to keep a book about Morocco's King Mohammed VI unpublished

Two French journalists have been arrested in France for allegedly trying to blackmail Morocco's King Mohammed VI, the Paris prosecutor's office and a lawyer for the monarch have said.

The prosecutor's office said the two, Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet, remained in detention on Friday. » | AP | Friday, August 28, 2015

Nazila Fathi: The Struggle for Modern Iran: A Journalist’s Story

Killing the Messenger

As censorship increases worldwide, journalists are being attacked, kidnapped and even killed for exposing the truth.

Inside Story: Is the UK Intimidating Journalists?

As the partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald is questioned by police, we ask if the UK's Terrorism Act is being misused.

Government Threats to Journos 'Signalling Rise of Fascism' - WikiLeaks

The Guardian's editor Alan Rusbridger said that UK authorities raided the paper's London office to destroy hard drives in a bid to stop further damaging publications. He also said that intelligence officials from the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had told him that he had the option of handing over all the classified documents or seeing the newspaper's hard drives destroyed. For more RT talks to WikiLeaks spokesperson, Kristinn Hrafnsson.

Obama Officials Are 'Criminalising Journalism', Says Republican Senator
THE INDEPENDENT: Administration’s efforts to trace leaks called ‘heavy-handed’ after private emails seized

The Obama administration has been accused of criminalising the press, as US lawmakers called for an independent investigator to look into the way the Justice Department conducts cases involving reporters.

President Barack Obama is facing widespread criticism for the aggressive way in which his government investigates leaks, after it emerged that officials had secretly seized phone records from the Associated Press and monitored personal emails of the Fox News reporter James Rosen.

Mr Obama last week directed his Attorney General, Eric Holder, to review the Justice Department’s procedures. Mr Holder is due to report back in July – but his position as the head of the department at the centre of the controversy has led lawmakers to question whether he is the right person to lead the review.

“This would be a good time for a special counsel or independent counsel… This is clearly an overreach,” the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News. Referring to a case in which the Justice Department obtained the Fox reporter’s private emails, he added: “We’re beginning to criminalise journalism, and I think that should worry us all.” » | Nikhil Kumar | New York | Sunday, May 26, 2013

Vorwürfe des Wiesenthal-Centers: Rabbi nennt Jakob Augstein Antisemiten
31.01.2013 - Das Simon-Wiesenthal-Zentrum hat Aussagen des SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Kolumnisten und Verlegers Jakob Augstein auf eine Liste der schlimmsten antisemitischen Äußerungen gesetzt. In Berlin verstärkte jetzt dessen Vizedirektor Rabbi Cooper die Kritik - und nennt Augstein unverblümt einen Antisemiten.

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Augstein Debate: Rabbi Refuses to Weaken 'Anti-Semite' Claims – Rabbi Abraham Cooper has reiterated the Simon Wiesenthal Center's stance that German journalist Jakob Augstein, who also writes a column for SPIEGEL ONLINE, is a leading anti-Semite. He said that Augstein's recent comments have done nothing to change his opinion. » | Severin Weiland | Thursday, January 31, 2013