Betsy Reed
editor-in-chief The Guardian US
Joel Simon
founding director Journalism Protection Initiative
In his first four years as president, President Trump tried to put journalists in jail, weaken libel laws, ban pesky reporters from the White House, and pressure media owners to back off of critical coverage. These efforts largely failed. Might they succeed the second time around?
Noted press freedom advocate and defender Joel Simon will interview Guardian US editor-in-chief Betsy Reed about the threats to journalists in the US in the Trump era, including online harassment campaigns, regulatory pressure, leak investigations, and police violence. They will also examine the impact of the Trump presidency on journalists around the world, specifically the lack of support and solidarity from US officials when they come under attack.
Finally, Reed and Simon will engage with the most enigmatic of media questions. How should journalists cover Trump? Reed brings a unique perspective to the issue, not only as the editor of a leading publication reporting on the Trump presidency for a US and global audience, but also as the former top editor at The Intercept, which was widely recognized for its groundbreaking investigative journalism, particularly focused on issues of national security.