European Journalists are Gearing Up Against Disinformation

By DON ROLLINS

It doesn’t take an historian to appreciate the long standing interdependence between the U.S. and most European nations. Centuries after that continent’s multiple invasions in the New World - and despite growing American isolationism - mainstream America still bears the marks of the Old by way of culture, religion, economics, government, aesthetics and military philosophy: Europe remains in our discourse and DNA long after the last British warship left harbor.

But — and thoroughly lost on today’s America-First devotees — Europe is not a monolith. It’s an entire continent with some 50 sovereign states (the actual number depends on how countries with capitals in Asia proper are counted, whether by square kilometers or geography) each with histories, subcultures and self-interests.

However tallied, each one of those distinct nations maintains dynamic connection to our own: A strong relationship with one may coexist with a weak tie elsewhere, pitting national interest against national interest with our government in the middle. The Old and New Worlds frequently clash as all parties vie for influence and increase in an often zero-sum moment in time.

But for all their diversity and differences, Europeans have on many occasions functioned en masse when doing so would advance their shared worldview and values. Take for example Donald Trump’s pending return to the Oval Office.

Prior to some breaking news in early December, few Americans knew much if anything about the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). In existence since 1994, the organization is the largest unified body for journalism on the continent. At 320,000 members spread across 46 countries, EFJ is a strong advocate for journalists and their rights as independent reporters, and the unions that support them.

On Dec. 2, the federation made news of its own by announcing it will no longer publish material on X (formerly Twitter), Trump favorite Elon Musk’s social media platform. Timed in concert with Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, the move signals the EFJ’s willingness to call both Trump and Musk to account:

“[The EFJ] can no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda … We cannot continue to participate in the social network feed of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists.”

A second statement, this one from EFJ’s president, Maja Sever, was even more to the point: “The social media site X has become the preferred vector for conspiracy theories, racism, far-right ideas, and misogynistic rhetoric. X is a platform that no longer serves the public interest but rather the ideological and financial interests of its owner and his political allies.”

EFJ is not alone in it’s commitment to telling America some hard truths. At least six other major European news outlets have made similar, public breakups with X, and more are believed to be in the wings. Progressive voices in Europe are mobilizing in advance, refusing to be tools for the richest man in the world, and his new best buddy.

Here in the States, the exodus from X has thus far been tepid, and on an individual basis. An online NBC News report indicated more users left X the day following the election than at any other time, opting instead for text apps offered by lesser known companies.

America’s bonds with Europe have often been tested, but not often to the extent we’re about to experience. Some freedom loving European journalists engaged Russia’s warmongering despot starting weeks before his attack on Ukraine, and now they’re gearing up for a new threat. This one from an old friend.

Don Rollins is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister in Jackson, Ohio. Email donaldlrollins@gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, January 1-15, 2025

Populist.com