Journalists who didn’t toe the line faced harassment, threats, or worse. Within a few years, the country’s once-vibrant media scene had transformed into a state-dominated system that broadcast official messages without opposition, leaving dissenting voices on the fringes.
Adolf Hitler, though operating in a different era, demonstrated the extreme consequences of total media domination. Through the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, he controlled newspapers, radio broadcasts, film, and even theater. Contradicting viewpoints were quickly destroyed or driven underground. With Joseph Goebbels at the helm, propaganda was honed to a near-science, making sure the public heard only the Nazi party line. Soon, many Germans had little sense of how thoroughly they were being manipulated—a key factor in the regime’s meteoric rise and its descent into atrocity.
All three leaders, despite vast differences in context, arrived at the same conclusion: if you control the message, you control the people. By determining which stories get told and which don’t, an authoritarian leader makes critics appear unpatriotic, discourages questions, and builds a psychological wall around the public’s awareness.
Donald Trump: Intensifying Control Over Communication
Donald Trump’s political success in the United States partly hinged on his ability to dominate headlines. During his 2016 campaign and four years in office, he attacked traditional media, calling it “fake news” and “the enemy of the American people.” Recent developments, though, suggest Trump’s approach has moved beyond fiery tweets or combative press briefings and into a more systematic effort to control the narrative.
A key example involves Trump’s direct control over White House press access. Traditionally, the independent White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) handled press passes and seat assignments. But according to New York Magazine, “The administration’s actions have led to disputes among journalists and compelled the WHCA to adapt its strategies,” effectively giving Trump the upper hand in deciding which reporters and outlets get access. This has allowed him to favor media organizations that echo his views and shut out those he perceives as hostile.
Another stark moment came when the Associated Press (AP) refused to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” at Trump’s insistence. The AP was soon cut off from certain events. The Guardian reported, “The Associated Press was notably excluded from events, illustrating the manipulation of media access to favor supportive outlets.” The AP responded with a lawsuit, arguing that denying reporters the ability to cover key White House functions was a flagrant violation of press freedom. While the idea of renaming a major body of water might sound outlandish, the real issue was how quickly the administration punished a major news outlet for failing to follow its script.
Trump also turned his focus toward Voice of America (VOA), a publicly funded broadcaster that has historically maintained editorial independence.