When I studied journalism at the University of Maryland, we were trained to recognize “yellow journalism” — sensational reporting that sacrifices truth for attention. Today, American media has been overtaken by a new, more dangerous trend: “red journalism,” where government propaganda has replaced honest reporting. The reason? The 2012 Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, a law quietly slipped into the National Defense Authorization Act under President Obama. This legislation lifted bans on U.S.-funded propaganda meant for foreign audiences, allowing government and legacy media to collude on delivering propaganda to the American public.
Ostensibly designed to counter “misinformation”, this amendment has allowed the government to weaponize our press, turning it from a watchdog into a megaphone for political agendas and false narratives. Once a pillar of democracy, legacy media has become a lap dog of the government, pushing narratives that serve those in power, not the truth.
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