Project 2025 Democracy Is Born With Bloodshed And Toil, But Dies With A Thunderous Applause

"Democracy is not a spectator sport." - Marian Wright Edelman

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

"Democracy dies in darkness." - The Washington Post

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"A democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience." - John Dewey

"Democracy is fragile and must be protected. It requires constant care and effort from all of us." - Barack Obama

"The health of a democracy is measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Elections alone do not a democracy make." - Barack Obama

"A functioning democracy is fragile. It requires not just adherence to the law but to the spirit of the law." - Joe Biden

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - John Adams

"Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments." - Alexander Hamilton

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." - James Madison

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin

"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others." - Thomas Jefferson

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal." - Aristotle

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism." - George Washington

Project 2025's Proposals for Journalism and Media

White House Press Corps Access

Project 2025 proposes a review of the accommodations and access provided to members of the White House Press Corps. This could change the established norms of media presence within the White House, potentially limiting access for journalists covering government activities.

Defunding Public Broadcasting

The project advocates for defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides financial support to the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). It characterizes this move as "good policy and good politics," viewing these organizations as less aligned with its vision for media. Additionally, it suggests revoking NPR stations' noncommercial status, potentially forcing NPR off the 88-92 FM band reserved for noncommercial broadcasting, which could open the frequency to religious programming.

Increasing Media Consolidation

Project 2025 recommends changing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules to allow more media consolidation. This shift could pave the way for local news outlets to be acquired and converted into national news programs, reducing the presence of locally-focused journalism in favor of centralized news production.

Legislation on Social Media Content

The project pushes for legislation that would prevent social media companies from removing content that represents "core political viewpoints." This policy aims to protect certain political content from moderation on platforms. In addition, Project 2025 advocates for a ban on TikTok due to security and political concerns.

Restricting the Federal Election Commission's Role

In its approach to election-related information, Project 2025 proposes limiting the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) role in countering misinformation or disinformation about election integrity. This stance could impact the FEC's capacity to address false information that could influence public perception and voter behavior.

Conclusion

Project 2025's proposals regarding journalism and media aim to reshape public broadcasting, increase media consolidation, and place new limits on content moderation and election information. These changes could have broad implications for independent journalism, local news, and access to reliable information on social media and public broadcasting channels.