America has struck a blow against freedom of speech
Moves against ‘foreign propaganda’ open the door for repressive governments to act against US and other news media in their countries
Recent attacks on US-tied media outlets in Eastern Europe are part of an unsettling movement against liberal democracy. But they are also a reminder of the costs of America’s fading role as a defender of free speech across the world. This week, Poland fined TVN, a station based there controlled by Tennessee-based Scripps Networks Interactive, for covering last year’s protests against government’s attempt to limit press freedoms. Last month, the Hungarian government accused the US of election meddling after the US State Department announced a $700,000 grant for media organisations operating outside Budapest. "What’s this, if not interference in the election campaign and in Hungary’s internal political processes?" Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wondered. Sound familiar? In January, the US intelligence community published a report that said Russia’s propaganda outlets, RT and Sputnik, helped Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton by covering him positively and her negatively. ...
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