Trump is rapidly moving us toward authoritarianism. While the country focuses on Trump's illegal and unconstitutional ICE raids, his threats to arrest political opponents, the militarization of our cities and his crackdowns on universities and law firms, it is important that we not ignore what is happening to the American media landscape.

In recent years, a handful of media conglomerates have increasingly owned and controlled what the vast majority of Americans see on television, hear on the radio and read in newspapers. But it is not just corporate ownership of broadcast and print media.

As internet use explodes, we are also witnessing the growing concentration of ownership of our social media platforms. Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on earth, owns X, formerly Twitter. Mark Zuckerberg, the third wealthiest man in the world, owns Meta, which includes Facebook and Instagram. Jeff Bezos, the fourth wealthiest, owns Twitch, along with the Washington Post. And Larry Ellison, the second wealthiest man in the world and a key Trump ally, recently purchased Paramount, which owns CBS and other outlets. It has been reported that Ellison is planning to acquire CNN and is working with Trump in an effort to control TikTok.

In other words, Trump's loyal billionaire friends increasingly control not only traditional media, but also the social networks hundreds of millions of Americans use to get information and communicate with one another.

Further, it is no secret that our authoritarian president does not tolerate criticism. He is currently suing the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal for unfavorable stories about him. He has successfully sued ABC, CBS, and Meta. He has slashed funding for PBS and NPR. He has threatened to revoke the licenses of TV stations that he says are "against” him. Stephen Colbert was taken off the air by CBS. And, under pressure from Trump, ABC even attempted to remove Jimmy Kimmel, before the American people successfully resisted.

In other words, Trump and his fellow oligarchs are consolidating power over the media while simultaneously targeting independent voices that dare to do what is vital in a democracy-take an honest look at those in power and hold them accountable.

Let's be clear: A free press is the lifeblood of a democratic society. Our Constitution's First Amendment explicitly protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press because the founders understood how important open debate and expression were to a democratic society.

If we allow billionaires and authoritarian politicians to control the flow of information, we risk losing not only independent journalism but the very foundation of our democracy. We must not allow that to happen.