U.S. Media Freedom: Perceptions Hit New Low

> In 2025, the year President Donald Trump took office for a second term, perceived media freedom fell 22 points among Democrats and five points among independents, while there was an increase among Republicans (from 83% to 93%). This year, Democrats and independents have fallen by six and seven points, respectively, while there has been little change among Republicans.

I find this interesting as an actual data point on the "alternative facts" issue that's been going on. Republicans are being told everything is fine, and because they trust their representatives, they also trust this.

Journalism, while never completely nonpartisan, could at least historically agree on the facts, if not the validity of the responses to them. We're now seeing the complete breakdown of even the trusting of facts, depending on who is reporting them. If you're not free to gather or report on facts, you're most certainly not a member of the free press.