The Trump administration has declared all-out war on the First Amendment

For the last three years, we’ve been working toward converting the Reno News & Review into a nonprofit news operation. 

When Donald J. Trump returned to the White House, we slowed that work. And as of now, it’s stopped. 

Here’s why, as reported by Time magazine on Sept. 22:  

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination earlier this month, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have openly discussed punishing left-leaning organizations they believe fuel political violence. Experts say one tactic that’s been mentioned could be especially harmful to some of the targeted groups: going after their tax-exempt status. 

The charge was made most explicitly last Monday, when Vice President J.D. Vance singled out the Ford Foundation and the George Soros-funded Open Society Foundations while hosting Charlie Kirk’s podcast. “We are going to go after the NGO network that foments and facilities and engages in violence,” Vance said, referring to non-governmental organizations. 

Asked about the administration’s plans, a White House official told TIME in a statement: “The White House is exploring a wide variety of options to put pen to paper to address left-wing political violence and the network of organizations that fuel and fund it. Specifics on what that looks like continue to be discussed.” 

Legal experts say the loss of tax-exempt status would amount to an existential threat to most organizations. But the White House’s ability to revoke any group’s tax-exempt status would be difficult, and could lead to protracted court battles. 

Of course, there’s a big difference between the Ford Foundation and the little ol’ RN&R. The same can be said about the difference between CBS, ABC and the big national media sources being pressured by Trump and his Federal Communications Commission. We’re small potatoes. Why should a small, local media operation worry? 

In a recent interview with Editor and Publisher, First Amendment attorney Bob Corn-Revere explained why: 

CBS caves on a lawsuit. Stephen Colbert faces political targeting. ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel after a controversial bit. For Bob Corn-Revere, one of America’s leading First Amendment lawyers, these headlines aren’t isolated incidents—they’re symptoms of a larger erosion of free expression. 

“You ignore it at your peril,” Corn-Revere said, noting that even though broadcasters operate under government licenses, the same pressures apply across the media spectrum. “The impulse is the same, regardless of whether you’re traditional media or broadcast media. They simply are using different tools.” 

That impulse, he explained, often comes in the form of litigation. “Litigation is one that’s being brought to bear against both newspapers and against broadcast stations,” Corn-Revere said. … 

Corn-Revere is quick to draw a direct line between national censorship battles and the intimidation tactics often faced by small-town papers. “The common theme is the attempt to use official power in one way or another to silence voices you don’t like,” he said. 

That last sentence is worth repeating: The common theme is the attempt to use official power in one way or another to silence voices you don’t like. 

The Trump administration and its allies have declared all-out war on the First Amendment. In addition to everything mentioned above, consider: 

• On Sept. 19, the Pentagon announced it would, as The Washington Post put it, require journalists “to pledge they won’t gather any information—even unclassified—that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. Under the policy, the Pentagon may revoke press passes for anyone it deems a security threat. Possessing confidential or unauthorized information, under the new rules, would be grounds for a journalist’s press pass to be revoked.” 

Think about it: The Pentagon is telling reporters that they can’t report anything about the Department of Defense unless the Department of Defense says it’s OK.  

• At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, the president of the United States actually said these words, in reference to Kirk: “He did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry.” 

We may be a small fish, media-wise, in a small pond, market-wise—but we’re doing everything we can here at the RN&R to keep ourselves safe, except for one thing: We’re not watering down our coverage. We’re doing no appeasement. We’re going to continue doing everything we can to tell Northern Nevada’s stories as best we can—and to always tell the truth, no matter the possible consequences.