Censorship and Disinformation in the Media
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The Trump administration’s silencing of public opinion and distorting the narrative
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer. The Pacifican is committed to remaining a non‑partisan publication and strives to provide an open platform for all University of the Pacific students to share their perspectives.
Something deeply concerning happening in front of our eyes is the weaponization of the government to silence criticism. While the U.S. government has its history of censoring speech and media coverage on controversial issues, this time the government is politically motivated in its assault on free speech. Whether it be unfavorable news coverage from journalists or comments from non-conservative pundits, the Trump administration has grown alarmingly hostile to criticism for its actions.
When Trump came into office at the start of his second term, he signed an executive order titled, “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.” While the name of this order may give off the impression that this administration is striving towards protecting free speech, their actions do not appear to have good intentions. What this administration really wants is speech that only supports what they are doing and to twist the narrative in their favor.
Going against what the Trump administration says can result in news agencies losing access to cover the White House. An example of this erosion of free press is when Trump was able to restrict the Associated Press (AP) from attending White House events. This dispute occurred in the early months of 2025 when AP journalists continued to reference the Gulf of Mexico, despite Trump wanting that body of water renamed to the Gulf of America. What ensued was a lawsuit filed by the Associated Press that initially won its case in a U.S. District Court. Unfortunately, they ultimately lost when the Court of Appeals in D.C. ruled in favor of Trump. According to NBC News, the appeals court said that the previous ruling infringed on Trump's “independence and control over his private workspaces.”
This could not be more of a clear violation of the First Amendment. This country cannot boast about being a beacon of freedom and democracy if the news is cherrypicked by the government. How can we trust the government to be transparent if it excludes reporters from covering objective events? There cannot be free speech while also restricting different viewpoints, that is contradictory. What this administration shows is its antagonistic view on the media, labeling anything that does not align with their narrative or critical of them as “fake news.” This is dangerous because if people are made to believe that the news is untrustworthy, then where will people find credible sources? These tactics are awfully authoritarian, controlling the press pool and discrediting journalists with different opinions.
Another example of the Trump administration’s assault on free speech is from a presidential memorandum titled, “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence” or NPSM-7. This memorandum came as a response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination and increased attacks on ICE officers. Like the deceptive intentions of the previously mentioned executive order, this memorandum is not actually concerned about preventing political violence. Rather, this order opens the door for further government censorship on groups that they deem to be “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity.”
This order is nothing more than a fearmongering tactic, deliberately made to intimidate opposition to the president. The president twists the definition of “terrorism” and “political violence” to fit his political bias. Trump creates the illusion of threats to American society by designating groups as domestic terrorist organizations, intended to target and silence political opponents. NPSM-7 is awfully broad in what it considers “political violence.” By keeping this definition vague, it threatens human rights and civil liberties in the U.S. The rhetoric in this order reflects what we have seen this administration do, label critics as “un-American,” use their power to advance their ideological agenda, and control the narrative.
It does not stop with just censorship to keep the public ill-informed, because this administration has also embraced the use of disinformation. The use of AI has become a favorite tool of Trump’s to engage with the media. It is no surprise why the White House has decided to use AI as a way to share information, because AI is easily susceptible to alterations and misleading the public. According to PBS, the White House social media team uses AI in order to connect with its Republican base and uses altered images as jokes to increase engagement. Although they claim to use AI as lighthearted posts, this greatly ignores how it can erode the truth of events. The government cannot be a trustful source if it uses AI rather than credible sources. The popularization of AI by the White House has motivated other people to promote their own disinformation of alternated images. If AI becomes the way news is shared, misinformation will continue to spread and trust in the media will crumble.
Another disgusting example of disinformation by members of the Trump administration to push a narrative is their response to the Border Patrol killing of Alex Pretti. In this horrific event, an innocent American citizen was killed on the street by Border Patrol officers. Pretti did not make himself a threat, he was simply trying to defend a woman that was being harassed by officers. While there are multiple videos that cover different angles of the shooting, the DHS Secretary wants us to deny what we see with our very eyes. According to Kristi Noem, Pretti approached the officers with a "9-millimeter semi automatic handgun” and when officers tried to disarm him, he “reacted violently.” This description is clearly misrepetitive of the actual events that unfolded. Just watch any videos or listen to the witnesses, Pretti was not trying to harm anyone in that situation.
There is no defending the actions of what ICE and Border Patrol agents have done in Minnesota. Two American citizens are dead and the government is trying to downplay the severity of it. DHS officials labeled them as “domestic terrorists” and used that as their justification for killing them. The government wants the public to forget and move on because they know what they did was a fatal mistake. But the Trump administration refuses to admit when they make mistakes, because that breaks their illusion of control over the narrative. If having to arrest journalists for covering immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota is necessary to hide the truth, this administration will do whatever it takes to keep the public scared and confused.
So, what can we do? It may feel hopeless at the moment with no one in the Trump administration being held accountable for its actions. However, the best thing we can do is be informed individuals. Information and media literacy is more important than ever. Having the skill to critically evaluate and engage with information is crucial for having the ability to identify unfactual information. We should also continue to speak up against the government’s actions. Whether it be protesting ICE operations across the country, talking with others to keep them informed, or even just expressing your opinion about the government; those are all valid methods to fight censorship. Being able to critically think and recognize your constitutional rights are essential to not fall for the government’s propaganda machine.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kristi-noem-claims-ice-agent-231130092.html