May 3rd marks World Press Freedom Day. This year especially, press freedom is under threat in the United States from a range of directions: from hostile official rhetoric and actions to self-censorship and systemic appeasement, to just basic information overload. As the Trump administration continues to “flood the zone,” how can we assess individual developments to discern broader trends that might help us better understand what’s happening, its impact and what we can do about it?  

Just Security Executive Editor and Professor of Law at American University, Rebecca Hamilton, joins Just Security Washington Senior Editor, Viola Gienger, to discuss how to grapple with the onslaught of news developments in the field of press freedom and discern broader trends. 

Show Notes:  

• Rebecca Hamilton’s “The Trump Administration’s Use of State Power: Keeping Track of the Big Picture” (May 2, 2025) 
• Rebecca Hamilton’s “Connecting the Dots: Trump’s Tightening Grip on Press Freedom” (Feb. 6, 2025)   
• Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions 
• Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)