In the TV series “Seinfeld,” one of the actors portrays a mailman whose name is Newman. In one of the episodes, Newman has a line that is pertinent to the skit. He says, “Ye who has control of the mail … has control of information!” This phrase is particularly poignant because it adroi tly describes what our president is doing every day when he meets with journalists or dignitaries. He tries to control the narrative, and when something is said by the free press that contradicts his premise, he repeatedly says, “It is fake news.” Obviously, he implies that anything negatively said about him or his agenda is detrimental to his administration. Yet he continually spews misinformation that fact checkers cannot keep up with. When confronted by the truth, he cleverly changes the narrative, thus avoiding negative criticism. In 1934, Adolph Hitler became chancellor of Germany and immediately took steps to control the news media. He appointed Joseph Goebbels minister of propaganda to be in complete control of the news. Anything that was derogatory to the Nazi regime was simply omitted and not reported. Thus, most Germans never knew of the concentration camps, persecution of intellectuals, and the atrocities suffered by the Jews. Our president incessantly wants to control the news. He banned The Associated Press correspondents from attending his press conferences. Fortunately, a federal court judge ruled that his act was unconstitutional and reinstated their presence in April 2025. However, he has successfully influenced the Sinclair Broadcast Group to have its numerous radio and television affiliates across the country only report favorable commentary about his administration. By threatening to withhold federal funding for major television outlets, he continues his quest to control the news. The censorship of CBS’s “60 Minutes” program is a prime example of his obsession with power. His press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, seems to only report favorable happenings by the president’s administration. Is she the president’s present-day minister of propaganda? From talking to many of my Republican friends, I know even they are growing tired of his constant negative rhetoric implying that everything is “fake news” or blaming the past Biden administration for anything derogatory against him or his administration. It is my hope that the Republican leadership in Congress is paying close attention to the changing popularity of the president and will take steps to actually govern the country rather than just rubber stamping his agenda. If they do not, I believe that they will pay the price at the mid-term ballot box in November 2026. John White Midway The post News really news? appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less