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The Conversation
The Conversation
Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom

Donald Trump Democracy Elon Musk United States Corruption EEAS VoA

Media freedom has long been essential to healthy democracy. It is the oxygen that fuels informed debate, exposes corruption and holds power to account. But around the world, that freedom is under sustained attack.

The actions of populist political elites, tech billionaires and foreign disinformation campaigns are reinforcing one another. This is weakening independent journalism and reshaping the global public sphere.

This convergence was on full display at US president Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration. The presence of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg signalled that the tech elite are no longer simply disruptors. They are increasingly aligned with populist politics, a project openly hostile to independent journalism and democratic accountability.

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