So Russia has told the Russian press what they are permitted to publish. Any disobedience will result in prison sentences.

The First Amendment to OUR Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law…..abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, etc.”

This language is often understood to apply to any government entity, not only Congress. It does not speak at all to private companies. When one joins a social media platform, one must click to accept the “terms and conditions” of that privately owned company. One of those conditions is that they reserve the right to refuse to carry anything they deem false, harmful or slanderous. If I cannot abide by those conditions, then I may not post on that site.

People cannot have an open discussion if they don’t agree on the same basic information. As they say, “One is entitled to one’s own opinion, but not to one’s own facts.”

In my opinion, the radical right has worked very hard to sow distrust of the mainstream media. If I cannot trust ABC, CBS, and NBC, where will I go for news? Many will choose sources that reinforce their own opinions. Others will simply disengage altogether. Neither of these is conducive to open discussion.