5/16 Arfi notes that all journalism involves subjective choices (choosing one topic over another), but honesty and independence must remain at its core.

Journalistenverbände hatten zuvor vor Angriffen auf Sharif gewarnt.“

#AnasalSharif
#Netanyahu
#Kriegsverbrecher
#FreePress

Er war ein Dorn im Auge von Israels Machthabern.
Er war ein mutiger Journalist und wurde unbequem. Ein Sprachrohr für Netanyahu war er nicht.
Das ist wahr.

This journalist was a thorn in Israel's side. He became a problem.

…Trump’s impact on the #media landscape has been profound. He has also gone after US government media that had #independence charters, including the venerable #VoiceOfAmerica, ending that media outlet’s operations after many decades.

Trump also fired 3 members of the #CPB board of directors in April. In legal action at the time, the fired directors said their dismissal was governmental overreach targeting an entity whose charter guarantees it independence.

…#Trump, who has called the #CPB a “monstrosity,” has long said that #PublicBroadcasting displays an *extreme liberal bias*, helped create the momentum in recent months for an anti-public broadcasting groundswell among his supporters in #Congress & around the country. It is part of a larger initiative in which he has targeted institutions—particularly #cultural ones—that produce #content or espouse attitudes that he considers “un-American” [different than his views].

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, & petitioned #Congress to preserve federal funding for #CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” said Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s president & CEO.

#CPB said its end, 58 years after being signed into #law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, would come in an “orderly wind-down.” In a statement, it said the decision came after the passage through #Congress of a package that clawed back its #funding for the next 2 budget years — about $1.1 billion. Then, the #Senate #Appropriations Cmte reinforced that policy change Thurs by excluding funding for the corporation for the first time in >50 years as part of a broader spending bill.

#CPB helps fund both #PBS & #NPR, but most of its funding is distributed to more than 1,500 local #PublicRadio & #television stations around the country.

The corporation also has deep ties to much of the nation’s most familiar programming, from NPR’s “#AllThingsConsidered” to, historically, “#SesameStreet,” “#MisterRogers Neighborhood” & the documentaries of #KenBurns.

The demise of the corporation, known as #CPB, is a direct result of #Trump’s targeting of #PublicMedia, which he has repeatedly claimed is spreading political & cultural views antithetical to those the #UnitedStates should be espousing [meaning #facts instead of #propaganda]. The #closure is expected to have a profound impact on the #journalistic & #cultural landscape — in particular, #PublicRadio & #TV stations in small communities across the #US.