United States Media Profile

Government

Government Type: Constitutional Federal Republic
Leader: President Donald J. Trump
Political Party: Republican
Political Position: Right / Conservative

Media

World Press Freedom Rank: USA 45/180

According to Reporters without Borders “Trump-era hostility toward press persists” in the United States. They state “Press freedom in the United States continued to suffer during President Donald Trump’s third year in office. Arrests, physical assaults, public denigration, and the harassment of journalists continued in 2019, though the numbers of journalists arrested and assaulted were slightly lower than the year prior.”

Government Influence on Media: The Government does not subsidize media in the United States with the exception of National Public Radio, PBS stations, and Voice of America. In general, the Government has minimal direct control over the press. However, 90% of the media in the USA is controlled by 6 corporations, which causes a lack of diversity in ownership and creates very strong Pro-Corporate Bias. In turn, these corporations may receive financial incentives from the Government such as tax breaks that may influence their direction. Finally, due to fear of harassment journalists may indirectly self-censor reporting against the government.

Top 5 USA Media Sources by Web Rank