Remember, America: Hating the press is not American

[Commentary] Journalists in the US are never off-limits for criticism. But what we’re seeing right now goes too far. We must fight back. We must fight a president-elect who obsessively attacks the press on Twitter, fight death threats toward reporters and editors, fight unrelenting anti semitism on social media, fight the resurrection of the Nazi-Germany term “Lugenpresse.” It’s an affront to our national heritage. And if the American people don’t remember or understand this, we need to remind them. Often.

So as we prepare to embark on a Donald Trump presidency, I offer a mini manifesto to share with press-hating friends, family, co-workers, and strangers. You can call yourself many things while you foment hatred toward reporters, but “all-American” is not one of them. Journalism is our original—and enduring—national anthem.

[Philip Eil is a freelance journalist based in Providence (RI)]