| Plus: What will happen to the White House press corps? No images? Click here.   President Trump. We’ve had a few days to let that sink in. People are grieving. Hate crimes are happening. Protesters are protesting. As journalists we are observing, reporting, writing and recording what we see. A sleeping giant in the United States voted, and now they’ve been heard. Loud and clear. When President James Madison wrote the First Amendment, he knew the people had a right -- and a need -- to know what their government was doing. For over two centuries the press has held people accountable. The press has given voice to the voiceless and the malcontents. Yet the media industry, from a business point of view, is deeply troubled. Many newspapers have gone out of business or are on the brink. What would happen to the United States without a strong media? That's why now, more than any time in history, it is important to support these institutions. We urge our readers to subscribe to their local papers, or subscribe to a national outlet of their choice. There are journalism nonprofits you can also support like ProPublica, Mother Jones, The Marshall Project, The Hechinger Report, The Trace, and The Center for Investigative Reporting. Without these organizations, without the press -- even if you hate us -- there will be no one to hold anyone accountable for their actions. And without that how can we call ourselves a democracy in the truest sense of the word?  What We're Reading Trump did not allow the press to travel with him on his plane, which meant they were not in his motorcade and often, because of travel snafus, were left behind. He’s banned outlets for months at a time and called out specific reporters he didn’t like. And despite the years of tradition that the White House allows journalists into the building, has them travel with the president in a protective pool and that the press secretary holds a daily briefing, none of that is guaranteed in any sort of law. (Hadas Gold, Politico) We must start asking all Americans to be their better selves. We must all understand that America is a melting pot and that none of us has a more authentic American experience. (Patrick Thornton, Roll Call) Stop saying you're going to move to Canada. "What you've got here is worth defending." (Jameel Jaffer, Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University) "We will continue to do what we always strive to do: shine light into dark corners, expose abuses of power, call out cronyism and corruption, and fight like hell for the living." (Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones) "We need to embrace, even relish, our legacy as malcontents and troublemakers, people who are willing to say the thing that makes everyone else uncomfortable." (Kyle Pope, Columbia Journalism Review) Good public policy must be based on facts. Institutions that gather those facts in a careful and non-partisan manner need public support more than ever. (Bill Keller, The Marshall Project) Candy World (or at Least Brooklyn) Stops for Lost Dog. (Andy Newman, The New York Times) Classic Longform Article of the Week "Leonard Cohen Unplugged," a profile from his days living as a mountain monk in Southern California, by Pico Iyer. Buzz, 1998 Thanks!    HuffPost Must Reads features a behind-the-scenes look at how longform journalism is made. We go under the hood. Why did the writer take that unexpected angle? How hard was it to get that source on the record? We’re here to tell that story. Did you like reading this newsletter? Forward it to a friend. Or sign up! Can't get enough? Check out our Morning Brief or Black Voices newsletters. The photo at the top of this email of Donald Trump and President Obama was taken by Pablo Martinez Monsivais for The Associated Press. ©2016 The Huffington Post | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
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Sunday, November 13, 2016
Why a free press really, really matters
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