We stand in solidarity with the residents of D.C. and similarly affected communities whose basic expectations of due process and transparent government are being compromised. The very institutions that should be accountable to residents are being sidelined, threatening the trust they must hold in public institutions.
We recognize that corporate and monied interests stand to benefit when local journalism is weakened, because a weakened press means fewer brave voices to challenge power, fewer defenders of accountability, and more opportunities for manipulation of the facts. Weakening local reporting doesn’t serve the public. It serves those in power.
Our members are also workers, family members, neighbors, and friends, many of whom live in communities at risk when government overreach goes unchecked. The safety of our communities and our loved ones is at stake.
Just last week, CWA passed a resolution that notes we are facing a coordinated authoritarian movement backed by some of the wealthiest people in the world that is seeking to undermine democracy by attacking the press, eroding local control, and consolidating power. These forces understand that when the public loses trusted local journalism, they lose a vital check on government abuse. They know that silencing local voices makes it easier to dismantle the freedoms generations before us fought to secure.
We are committed to fighting for all of our members: those who continue to tell the true story of D.C., representing its vast and diverse communities, chronicling the city with integrity, depth, and care, those who fight back against authoritarianism every day through organizing, mobilizing others through impactful, nationwide and local movements, and those whose workplaces are under direct attack, who continue to stand firm in defense of the vital work they do for their communities and our world.