Support Journalism That Supports You

By Willie Brown

On Tuesday, we learned that CNN anchor and truth teller Jim Acosta is leaving the network.  As the far right continues its campaign of hateful rhetoric and misinformation, we’ll be seeing more honest journalists leave corporate news.

Acosta has been with CNN for 18 years and has one of the highest-rated shows on the network. So when CNN decided to pull him from his prime spot at 10am Eastern, and move him to a midnight show, he saw the writing on the wall. It was an offer he had to refuse.

The decision to move Acosta out of daylight comes at a time when mainstream news seems intent on bending over backward to accommodate Trump and his rich MAGA supporters. Acosta knows this well, although he did not mention Trump specifically in his announcement.  He told viewers:  

“Today’s show was my last at CNN. My closing message: It’s never a good time to bow down to a tyrant… don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to fear. Hold on to the truth… and hope.”

According to the Associated Press,  “Less than a half hour before Acosta’s announcement, Trump posted on social media that rumors that the anchor was leaving were good news. ‘Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up,’ Trump said on Truth Social.”

Acosta was the thorn in Trump’s side that CNN decided to get rid of.  As a former White House correspondent, he asked tough questions that the thin-skinned wanna dictator did not want to answer. 

In 2018, during Trump’s first term, the White House briefly suspended Acosta’s press pass.  Trump got angry when Acosta tried to continue questioning him at a news conference and an aide tried to take away his microphone.

He also covered President Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2016 where he had an opportunity to question dictator Raul Castro about political prisoners.  

 “As the son of a Cuban refugee, I took home the lesson (that) it is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” Acosta said. “I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that at CNN and plan to go on doing it in the future.”

Acosta is the latest casualty of corporate media bought and paid for by Trump. But he is certainly not alone.  Don Lemon, another CNN anchor, was fired in 2023, and is doing quite well with his independently-owned podcast which airs twice daily on YouTube.

Independent media outlets are gaining traction at a time when corporate media is pushing out more fascist propaganda on broadcast and cable stations. Truthful reporting is on the rise, as smaller outlets pop up across social media.  However, honest, free speech is something we have to work harder to find.  This is why the role of local, community-driven news is more important now than ever. 

Acosta did not announce his future plans, but I’m wishing him the best. Watching Lemon discuss topics on his podcast is refreshing.  Without rules and censorship imposed by CNN, he can finally tell it like it is.  I have no doubt that Acosta will soon reclaim his true voice wherever he ends up.

We are living in a time where people are waking up–where the flow of information can no longer be controlled solely by wealthy white males. The emergence of social media has created a sub-culture of smaller, niche journalists who do not operate under the thumb of big business.

Supporting the work of local news outlets like Inglewood Today is crucial to protecting free speech and integrity–especially  news which directly impacts marginalized people.  In this edition, we are featuring the historically black community of Altadena, recently destroyed by the Eaton fire.  

While my heart goes out to every family affected by recent wildfires, mainstream media will always place more emphasis on homes destroyed in Pacific Palisades, because it favors the wealthy.  This is simply the way it is.  

That said, it is our hope that readers will pitch in and help people in Altadena rebuild.  We want them to know that they will still be thought about beyond this month.  We have to help our own.  If you want to learn how you can help families in Altadena, read this week’s front page article. 

As always, Inglewood Today appreciates your thoughts, comments and support.