Journalism is being menaced by baseless lawsuits, a $1.1 billion cut in public broadcasting, press bans, physical assaults on reporters, economic failures, and Trump’s tyrannical attacks on the media.
As a result, more than 3,300 newspapers have been shuttered since 2005. In the past year alone, 127 newspapers closed, leaving nearly 55 million people in “news deserts” across the US. The US has lost more than two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2004.
Major layoffs occurred at the Arizona Daily Star in 2023, resulting in a nearly 25% reduction in the newsroom staff. Before those cuts, the newsroom had approximately 35-40 employees, and 10 people were laid off, including the editor Jill Jorden Spitz. Fifteen years ago, the Star had 120 reporters, photographers and editors.
Tucson used to have two newspapers. The Tucson Citizen closed its print edition on May 16, 2009, after 138 years of operation. It ceased all publication in 2014.
Baseless lawsuits
President Trump has filed spurious defamation lawsuits, including a $15 billion case against The New York Times, claiming the newspaper has been “allowed to freely lie, smear and defame me for far too long.” The courts threw the case out.
Freedom of the Press is Under Attack: Journalist Panel Discussion
Join me and three outstanding journalists this Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 2 pm at the Green Valley Democrats program, “Meet the Press: Current Challenges for the Media.” We’ll be at the Community Performance Art Center at 1250 W. Continental Road in Green Valley.
Trump also filed a meritless $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal for reporting about his greeting card in a birthday book for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The paper has moved to dismiss this bogus complaint because the article is true.
Nevertheless, lawsuits like these can chill investigative journalism by threatening major financial and legal burdens for news outlets.
Journalism is being menaced by baseless lawsuits, a $1.1 billion cut in public broadcasting, press bans, physical assaults on reporters, and Trump’s tyrannic attacks on the media.
Banning news reporters
Trump has also attacked press freedom by banning the Associated Press from White House and Pentagon events, issuing executive orders to defund $1.1 billion from public broadcasters like NPR and PBS, and encouraging regulatory investigations into news organizations that criticize the administration.
The FCC has investigated news organizations such as CBS and NBC, which are blatant attempts to intimidate critical reporting. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the FCC could move to revoke the licenses of ABC affiliates to punish comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Police violence against news reporters
In Los Angeles, at least 50 incidents where local police targeted journalists who covered June protests against ICE raids on Latino communities. In one notable example, Channel Nine reporter Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet intentionally shot at her by a police officer. This event was recorded on a live camera. Other journalists were trampled by police horses, shot at with rubber bullets while clearly identified as journalists, and tear-gassed. At least one journalist required emergency surgery after being hit by a rubber bullet.
Disappearing newspapers
As a veteran reporter of the New York Daily News, my heart sank when I saw that the print edition of the Arizona Republic had been terminated.
The news has transitioned to online platforms that enable the addition of video, audio, and hundreds of photographs for readers. None of that is possible on a printed page.
The flaw in online news, however, is that a reader can’t underline important paragraphs, can’t use scissors to cut out an article, and can’t enjoy the tactile satisfaction, the absence of distractions and the mind-body connection of a printed newspaper.
Among US adults, 86% say they at least sometimes get their news from a smartphone, computer or tablet, according to Pew Internet Research.
The top sources are, in order:
- YouTube
- TikTok
- X
Hardly anybody gets their news from Threads, Rumble, Truth Social or Bluesky.
However, a majority (64%) get news from television at least sometimes. This includes 32% who say they often get news from TV. Americans turn to the radio and print publications for news less frequently. In 2025, 11% of U.S. adults say they often get their news from the radio, and 7% say the same about printed newspapers or magazines.
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