If there’s one thing we can always count on in American politics, it’s that the media will loudly proclaim its commitment to “free and independent journalism”—while simultaneously doing everything in its power to suppress viewpoints it doesn’t like.

The latest controversy? The Trump White House has decided to take control of the presidential press pool, a move that has sent the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and liberal journalists into full meltdown mode. They claim this is an authoritarian crackdown on press freedom, comparing it—predictably—to the early days of Vladimir Putin’s rule.

At the same time, another major media shake-up is happening: Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos is restructuring The Washington Post’s opinion section to focus on “personal liberties” and “free markets” while excluding perspectives that challenge those principles. In other words, The Post—which once prided itself on being a beacon of free debate—is now admitting that certain views will be blacklisted.

If all this seems like a mess, that’s because it is. But there’s a deeper issue at play here. The media’s current crisis isn’t just about Trump’s decisions or Bezos’ editorial moves—it’s about a press corps that has long since abandoned its credibility.

A Free Press Is Essential—But So Is an Honest One

I’ll say this upfront: a free press is absolutely essential to a thriving democracy. The ability of journalists to challenge those in power, expose corruption, and ask uncomfortable questions is one of the great blessings of the American system. But here’s the problem: what happens when the so-called “free press” refuses to do its job fairly?

For decades now, mainstream media outlets have acted less like impartial observers and more like political operatives. They spent years pushing the Russia-collusion hoax as settled fact, only to quietly admit later that much of it was nonsense. They deliberately buried the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election, gaslighting the American people into believing it was “Russian disinformation”—only to later admit that, yes, the laptop was real.

These same outlets spent four years treating every Trump press briefing as an existential threat to democracy, yet they gave Joe Biden a free pass as he stumbled his way through his presidency. Even when Biden’s White House revoked the press credentials of 442 reporters in 2023, the WHCA didn’t utter a peep of protest. They also stayed silent when the Biden team began requesting press questions in advance—a clear violation of journalistic independence.

So, forgive me if I don’t take their sudden outrage too seriously now that Trump is shaking things up. The press is not entitled to be treated as an untouchable institution when it has actively betrayed the public’s trust.

Is Trump’s Press Pool Shake-Up Justified?

Here’s where it gets tricky. If the Trump administration is revamping the press pool to increase media access—meaning more conservative and independent outlets get a seat at the table—then that’s a good thing. After all, the WHCA has long been a gatekeeper that favors establishment media, and it’s about time that alternative voices get equal footing.

However, if this move is purely about punishing journalists for unfavorable coverage, that’s a different story. A healthy democracy requires a press that holds all leaders accountable, not just the ones they dislike. Even as someone who supports Trump’s policies far more than Biden’s, I don’t want a press corps that only serves as a cheerleader for the president. I want reporters who ask tough questions—because truth should always matter more than political convenience.

Now, are mainstream reporters actually asking tough, fair questions? Not usually. Most of them act as Democratic Party stenographers. But still, the principle of a free and adversarial press is important.

The Real Issue: The Press Is Paying for Its Own Sins

Trump’s press pool shake-up and Bezos’ editorial purge are symptoms of the same disease: a media establishment that has destroyed its own credibility.

For years, Americans were told to “trust the experts” in the media. But those experts have lied, manipulated, and censored their way into irrelevance. The press spent decades abusing its power, and now it’s losing that power. Instead of reflecting on its failures, it’s playing the victim.

This is why The Washington Post is hemorrhaging money. This is why CNN’s ratings are in the toilet. This is why more Americans are turning to alternative news sources instead of mainstream outlets.

The American people don’t hate journalism. They hate dishonest journalism.

Final Thoughts: What Should Conservatives Want?

As an independent Christian conservative, I want three things:

1. A truly free press—not one controlled by partisan activists.
2. Accountability for journalists—because they shouldn’t be immune from scrutiny.
3. Truth above all else—even when it’s inconvenient.

That means Trump’s team shouldn’t use press credentials as a weapon. But it also means the mainstream media needs to drop its sanctimonious act and admit that it’s not the neutral institution it pretends to be.

The good news? Truth has a funny way of winning out in the end.

The media has spent years covering up the truth. Now, they’re the ones being exposed. And that, my friends, is a reckoning long overdue.