Take action: Attacks on freedom of press are an attack on democracy

Friend, on August 11, local law enforcement officers in Marion, Kansas [raided]( a small-town newspaper’s office and its publisher and owners’ home. The raid, which may have been triggered by personal grievances against the Marion County Record, appears to have [violated]( federal law protecting journalists and constitutional rights. [Sign the petition: Protect freedom of the press from attacks by public officials.]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Attacks on the freedom of the press go far beyond simply not liking what the press reports, and they aren't isolated to Kansas. Journalism has been under a sustained assault from the nation's authoritarian movement. - Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and other prominent Republicans are eager to [overturn longstanding Supreme Court precedent]( that has empowered journalists to investigate and criticize public figures. - This past March in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, officials were [caught]( on tape discussing how to kill two local journalists who reported on incidents that may have "cast the sheriff’s office in an unfavorable light.” - In an attempt by government authorities to suppress the media's ability to report the news and hold those in power accountable, two journalists in Asheville, North Carolina, were [prosecuted]( for reporting on police evicting a homeless encampment. A free and independent press is a cornerstone of democracy. An informed, engaged public is able to hold the government accountable and ensure justice. Brazen violations against an independent and constitutionally-protected free press, like what is unfolding in Kansas, directly threaten our democracy. [Sign the petition: Protect freedom of the press.]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Keep fighting, Monique Teal, Daily Kos Daily Kos is powered by grassroots donors like you Donations from our readers and activists like you are our largest source of income. We literally can't do the work we do without your help. Please support progressive, independent news and activism with a $5 donation today. [Donate $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.