Author: Tom Doerr, President of the Press Club of Southwest Florida
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America celebrated its 250th birthday this past weekend with fireworks, parades, concerts, speeches, and patriotic displays. It was a weekend meant to remind us of an extraordinary national promise that all people are created equal and possess the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet amid those celebrations, another image emerged.…
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On its 250th birthday, America is a nation that tells itself only flattering stories. That’s a sign of decline, not greatness. That thought came to mind while reading a recent essay, “How America Gave Up on Its Own History,” by Yoni Appelbaum in The Atlantic, about America’s struggle to reach a shared understanding of its past and present. History…
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The Press Club of Southwest Florida has always been powered by volunteers. Every luncheon, every scholarship, every Newsmaker event, every opportunity to bring journalists and the public together begins with members who are willing to step forward and help. Today, I’m asking a few more members to do exactly that. As the club continues to…
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“Do you have your toothbrush packed?” The chairman of The Washington Post Company, Don Graham, asked me. The idea of going to jail had never crossed my mind. But there I was on a call with Graham, the company attorney, and my boss in Miami. A judge in Broward County had ordered WPLG to reveal…
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Perhaps you’ve seen or read about this spring’s college graduates booing their commencement speakers. New York Times columnist Molly Jong-Fast writes that the frustration with some commencement speakers reflects anxiety about the economic future. Today’s recent graduates have reason to be concerned. Speakers focus on artificial intelligence boosterism. Graduates already know A.I.’s growth is inevitable. Yet…
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Good afternoon. Thank you for being here, and a big thanks to Barbara Peterson of the Florida Center for Government Accountability. I truly appreciate your presence. A year ago, I took on the responsibility of serving as president of the Press Club of Southwest Florida—with a clear understanding of what this organization represents…and what it must never become.…
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By the time you read this, Jimmy Kimmel will have returned to ABC. That means you’ll know whether the comedian has resumed his free-speech platform—or if ABC has silenced his constant mockery of Donald Trump and his administration. Make no mistake: the attack on the First Amendment is far from over. The question is whether…
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Do four of the five Collier County Commissioners think their constituents are stupid? They must, given the Commission’s 4–1 vote to post the Ten Commandments in public buildings, followed by Commissioner Chris Hall’s insistence that the vote had nothing to do with religion. News coverage before and after the ballot skimmed the surface, then moved…
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It’s an understatement to say that President Donald Trump is transforming almost every aspect of American life. Some of these changes are evident in policy and politics, while others are more subtle but equally impactful. One of the most harmful is how his speaking style is transforming public discourse. Adam Aleksic, an American linguist and…
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