Former President Trump is known for attacking the press and harassing journalists. Prime Minister Orbán of Hungary has been even more extreme in his tactics, penalizing journalists with fines, controlling appointments to media regulatory councils, and using public media to propagate propaganda.

Wesleyan University

Autocrats attack the free press to eliminate or at least weaken the media as a check on executive power. They might attack journalists, stack media regulatory committees with party loyalists, censor journalists, or buy up media outlets to consolidate control over the press.

Attacking the Press and Consolidating Media Power

Haggard, S. & Kaufman, R. R. (2020). Backsliding: Democratic regress in the contemporary world: Appendix. In S. Haggard & R.R. Kaufman, Backsliding: Democratic regress in the contemporary world. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Haggard & Kaufman (2020) - Appendix

Haggard, S. & Kaufman, R. R. (2021). Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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