Freedom of speech in the USA? “This is the Russification of American civic life”

Never – at least in my life – we have not witnessed what we are observing today, and thus attempts to take political control over the freedom of expression, on the topics taken or the narratives built. This is an anatema of the most fundamental foundations of American democracy – says in an interview with TVN24+ an outstanding American investigative journalist, writer and filmmaker David France.

“Congress will not establish laws introducing religion or prohibiting free performance of religious practices; or laws limiting freedom of speech or press, or violating the right to peaceful gatherings and a petitions to the government for the repair of harm” – is the first amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted as one of the ten amendments written in Bill of Rigths 1791. Bill of Rigths is considered in the US as the foundation of civic freedoms and freedoms.

By decision of the General Assembly UN In 1993, the World Press Freedom Day was established, which is celebrated on May 3. At that time, the organization without borders publishes a report known as the global press index of the press. In this year's edition, covering 180 countries, for the first time in history, reporters without borders classified the global situation of the freedom of the press as “difficult”. The average result in the ranking dropped below 55 points. Poland improved its position by 16 places, the USA – fell by two positions (from 55 to 57).

In last year's report, it was noted that the US was preparing for elections in 2024 in an atmosphere of “growing distrust of the media, which is at least partly fueled by opening the antagonistically focused politicians calling for closing journalists in prison.”

In several high -profile cases, local law enforcement agencies led chilling blood, including raids to information editors and arrest of journalists

– we read in last year's report.

– The freedom of the press is attacked on ways that have not been seen in the United States for generations – comments in an interview with TVN24+ an outstanding American investigator journalist, writer and filmmaker David France.

In his over 40 years of career, France collaborated with such editorial offices as “Newsweek”, “New York Magazine”, “New Yorker”, “New York Times Magazine” and “GQ”. He was recognized primarily by investigative materials regarding LGBTQ+people.

As a director, he made his debut in 2012, creating an outstanding full -length document “How to survive the plague”. The film won the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary competition of the Sundance Film Festival, two Emmy Award nominations and nomination for Oscar In the category of the best full -length documentary film. He was awarded, among others Gotham award.

In 2020, in the documentary competition, Sundance showed premiere one of the most important documentary films of the 21st century – “Welcome to Chechnya”. France looks at the work of activists saving people to LGBTQ+who survived torture, which is part of the anti -gangth pogrom in Chechnya, which has been going on since 2017. Some photos were shot with hidden cameras, they were created from hiding with smartphones or GoPro cameras. To protect the identity of people appearing in the film, Deepfake technology was used, changing the faces and voices of filmed people. Thus, as the critics and theoretics of the film agree – France “introduced” Deepfake to cinematography. “Welcome to Chechnya” was the first documentary in history, which was on a short list of titles with the chance of an Oscar nomination for the best special effects.

His latest film is to “free Leonard Peltier”. And about him, and we will be free to talk to the journalist in the USA. David France will also be a guest of the Warsaw installment of the 22nd Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, which will start on May 9.

Tomasz-Marcin Wrona: You started your career as a journalist in the early 1980s, working for the next decades in various editorial offices. How do you assess the state of freedom of the press in the United States based on all these experiences?

David France: This is a very broad issue and it is too early to put an unambiguous answer. At the same time, the freedom of the press is attacked on ways that have not been seen in the United States for generations. The current administration is convinced that it is able to control the press and narratives of the White House.

We observed similar processes in other countries. I think that the White House uses examples from these countries, specifically Russiashaping your own policy towards the media. He does this not only towards specific titles, but also to individuals. In recent weeks, the American authorities have not allowed or expelled from the country people only on the basis of messages mentioned on messengers with friends or friends. It turns out that just expressing an opinion is enough for, in the opinion of the American authorities of someone's presence in the United States, it becomes undesirable, even as a tourist.

Is it possible to take control of media narratives?

The current administration tries to do it very much and does it in many ways. One of them – and it seems very effective at the moment – are individual lawsuits filed by Donald Trump Against individual largest media organizations in the United States. So far, two cases have ended in settlements. This means that the media had to pay Trump for – I don't know – his consent to make these media to function in some balanced way.