When the President Punishes the Press | Judy Woodruff & Ruth Ben-Ghiat

In this episode of The Stakes, host Brad Rourke talks with Judy Woodruff and Ruth Ben-Ghiat about President Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.

Journalist and Kettering Fanning Fellow for Journalism in Democracy Judy Woodruff draws on decades of experience covering presidents to explain what makes this confrontation different from previous tensions between presidents and the press, why access matters to the public, and the significance of competing news organizations acting collectively in response. Historian and Kettering Senior Fellow Ruth Ben-Ghiat places the episode in historical context, examining the role attacks on independent media and propaganda play in the consolidation of autocratic power. Together, they discuss the importance of solidarity within the press and across civil society—and what they think is important to watch for next.