Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I rise to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, which was this past Sunday, and to celebrate the brave journalists all over the world who safeguard the values of truth, democracy, transparency, and justice through their work. Every year, we set aside this day to reaffirm our commitment to the free press. This year, however, is a little bit different. This year, we are in the midst of a brutal global public health crisis. One of the reasons that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked so much havoc--taking hundreds of thousands of lives and devastating the economy--is that people with power have propagated misinformation about the virus. In the words of the World Health Organization, we are witnessing an ``info-demic.'' Now, more than ever, it is vital that the public receives the truth, and that means protecting the free press. We are relying on the press to bring us crucial, often life-saving, information about testing sites, shelter-in-place orders, school closures, government aid, and how to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. That is why many States, Maryland among them, have designated local news outlets as ``essential businesses'' that are allowed to keep operating despite social distancing policies. In a noble effort to keep the public informed, many local media outlets have removed their paywalls for COVID-19-related news, forfeiting desperately needed revenue.…”