Thank you, Boston Globe, for having the courage to call for news outlets to unite against Donald Trump. And, to the Portland Press Herald and all those who wrote about the importance of a free press (Our View, Aug. 12), thank you.

It is high time for you to come together against this president and his dangerous war against the media. Well, most of the media. Fox News, Donald Trump’s buddies, his go-to for information no matter how salacious, no matter how twisted in bias, is the one news source Trump lauds. Why? Because they will stand on their heads to make Trump sound reasonable. No easy task.

So, those people who get their news exclusively from this source have a different take on the world from those people who get their information from most other sources. This collision of the free press is confusing and disturbing. There are few issues that are more important to me than those embodied in the First Amendment, including the protection of a free press. When bias overwhelms the reporting of the news, our democracy is as much at risk as if the press were being suppressed.

Our democracy, to thrive, must insist that the government not meddle with the reporting of the news, either by calling it “fake” or by calling only one source the sole bastion of truth. Donald Trump does both. And that is very, very dangerous.

So, those of you in the media who stand for freedom of the press being sacrosanct, stand together. Put aside your competitive natures and protect with one voice the heart and soul of our democracy. Roar together against attacks against you. And as long as you always search for truth rather than placating the ego of the president, I will stand with you. Always.

Jo Trafford

Portland

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