In North Korea, independent media is strictly forbidden. All media outlets are state-owned, rigidly controlled by Kim Jong Un’s Workers' Party of Korea.

The consequences of speaking out against the government are harsh, with entire families being sent to political prison camps. 

We are certainly not there yet. But it seems that Donald Trump has been taking notes.

This week, Trump moved beyond merely weaponizing the government against his political opponents — he openly abused the presidency to silence his critics. Aided by the sycophants in his administration and the gutless members of his own party, they eagerly undermined the Constitution, the rule of law and individual liberties. Meanwhile, institutions that claim to stand for democracy are cowering in fear.

As I reflect on where we stand — only eight months into a four-year term — I am struck by the speed with which major institutions have collapsed in the face of Trump’s assault on democracy. Nowhere has this been more evident, or more damaging, than in the behavior of the nation’s largest media corporations.

The near-total collapse of corporate television and print outlets has been shocking, not only in its speed but in its completeness. At the start of this administration, I expected legacy media to pull its punches. However, I did not expect it to collapse so thoroughly. I anticipated it might rein in aggressive journalists. I did not anticipate it would fire or suspend late-night comedians. Mostly, I did not expect the capitulation to happen so quickly — or across so many outlets at once.

Executives at these massive media enterprises want us to believe they are in a no-win situation: compromise with Trump or risk financial ruin. They want our understanding, if not our sympathy. I have neither.

No one forced them to build businesses that could only survive through endless mergers and consolidation. No one told them to overleverage their balance sheets in pursuit of unsustainable profits. No one required them to cling to outdated technologies and practices to wring out every last dollar for shareholders.

Most importantly, no one made them lie to their customers, employees and the public about having principles when they had none. Why tell us that “democracy dies in darkness” if, when faced with Trump’s threats, they help him switch off the lights? Why insist they will report “without fear or favor” when, the moment Trump attacks, they cower in fear; and when he makes threats, they lavish him with millions of dollars in favors?

If big media outlets are going to betray their viewers and readers, they should at least be honest about it. If a major network is too afraid of Trump to stand by a late-night comedian, it should just admit that reality and stop pretending otherwise.

But let’s be clear: some of the blame is ours. We allowed ourselves to believe a story we wanted to hear — that these giant companies operated in the public interest, putting principle above profit. We convinced ourselves they would defend free speech and dissent, expose Trump’s abuses and protect democracy.

We believed this despite all evidence to the contrary. Legacy media has been failing us for years, and we knew it. We joked about it, debated it, even built parody accounts around it on social media. We knew Trump was coming for his critics, and we should have known the legacy media would never stand in his way.

The events of the last week have stripped away any illusion. The cold reality of this crisis is unavoidable: the media institutions we were counting on will not protect us.

So where does that leave us?

Each of us has a choice about what media we consume and who we support — with our attention, our subscriptions and our wallets. There is a small but vibrant independent media community poised to serve those committed to democracy. But it cannot grow without our support.

Conservatives have spent decades nurturing and building an alternative right-wing media ecosystem. They patronized it, funded it and elevated it until it became a powerful political force. We must urgently do the same by bringing pro-democracy media to scale.

Those of you reading this newsletter already know about Democracy Docket, its scope and its mission. Consider sharing this with a friend who doesn't yet read or support Democracy Docket.

But don’t stop there. Dozens of other independent outlets — each with unique areas of focus — also deserve support. Seek them out, give them a chance, and, if you are able, help them thrive.

Tomorrow, I will share some of my personal recommendations. In the meantime, I urge you to do your own research, trade suggestions with friends, and build your own list of trusted sources.

This is a dark time in American history. It is not the future most of us imagined, nor one we easily could have predicted. But protecting and restoring democracy is the defining challenge of this generation.

Corporate media has shown us it will not do its part. That burden now falls on us. We must refuse complacency, reject cynicism and commit to the difficult work of sustaining independent, principled journalism. The fate of democracy does not rest in the hands of legacy media executives. It rests in ours.

The collapse of corporate media is not the end of the story. It is an inflection point. If we rise to the occasion, support independent voices, and demand better, we can build a stronger media ecosystem than the one that failed us. If we do not, we risk losing not only the free press, but the democracy it exists to defend.

The choice is clear. The responsibility is ours. And the time is now.