Vanity Fair

03/27/2025

This is why it’s so important to put into perspective what these efforts to undermine the media mean in terms of the potential US descent into authoritarianism, as part of a broader assault on institutions of democratic life, from civil society to universities. According to V-Dem’s research, the “fatality rate” of democratic regimes that have begun the slide into autocracy is 67%, and the window to turn things around is generally about five years. There does not seem to be much consensus among democracy scholars about how far along the US is in terms of its autocratic transition. But one thing is clear. After 10 years of decline, a democratic rebound is “close to impossible,” according to a recent V-Dem policy brief.

The fate of America’s democracy, therefore, depends in good measure on the fight to preserve media freedom. The battle lines are no longer about who controls the narrative or who gets access to the president. It’s more elemental. Media organizations across the country must rally to defend their rights, protect their people, and report the news with independence. In practical terms, this means preparing their newsrooms to work in a more adversarial environment, marshalling legal resources, and building strong alliances around a shared commitment to press freedom. If they fail—and the ramparts have already been breached—then America’s authoritarian future may be all but inevitable. Once autocracy takes hold, it’s very hard to dislodge. There may be no going back—to democracy.