NBC, McClatchy, other major media organizations form ‘Project Press Freedom’

Some of the country’s best-known media companies, tech companies, and nonprofits are supporting a national campaign called “Protect Press Freedom.”

Two nonprofit orgs, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and the Committee to Protect Journalists, are leading the effort. And 30+ partners, including CNN, are on board.

The Protect Press Freedom campaign “will educate Americans about the threats to press freedom, reinforce the values underpinning the free press, and celebrate the diverse journalism that keeps the public informed,” the groups said. And: “Through video, radio, digital, print, and social media assets, the campaign communicates a simple, powerful truth: In order to be free, we must be informed.”

The partners who have agreed to run PSAs and ads include: CBS, CNN, NBC, Reuters, Facebook, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Sinclair, NPR, Twitter, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Barron’s, McClatchy, Scripps, Gannett/USA Today Network, and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.

[WRAL TV is an NBC affiliate. McClatchy owns newspapers in the Triangle and Charlotte.]

RCFP exec director Bruce Brown: “We’re proud to bring news outlets and organizations together to have a conversation with the public about press freedom and encourage people to stand up for their right to information.”

This campaign gets at a gnawing concern that journalists frequently bring up with me. They say that President Trump is framing the discussion about modern news media with his hateful, destructive “enemy of the people” rhetoric. They wonder about who/what is countering his claims with a more honest portrayal of the press corps. This campaign is part of the answer…