Op-ed: When you see it coming, don't lose your voice

February 1, 2026.

It's a new day and a new month. And while there are some things new in the manner in which they appear, as the saying goes in a chapter of the basic instructions before leaving earth, there's nothing new under the sun.

And we shouldn't be surprised by what we see; if anything, simply be as aware and engaged as possible to provide some measure of checks and balances before things become too imbalanced.

In recent days, we've seen ramped up activity when it comes to journalism and the media. And while there are a few things to reasonably critique and draw into question with different aspects of these fields, one thing people would figure is clear are the rights protected under the first amendment, including that of the press.

However, when those in journalism and the media do their job, which basically calls for gathering and reporting the facts to provide a point of reference, it seems whenever the reporting is on a topic that certain entities want to bury or erase so they may continue to run slipshod through the lives of people who aren't like them, it's perplexing when all of a sudden, it appears that said protected rights are hard to come by. There are a number of instances ranging the not too long ago time of Ida B. Wells (click HERE), as her reporting and fact-finding on the horrors of lynching and other acts during her era, including the delays to Black women receiving their right to vote despite their alignment with those in the Women's Suffrage Movement, led to a clear erosion of her 1st Amendment right, including a white mob burning down her offices of Free Speech (one of her newspapers/publication companies based in Memphis, TN).

Whenever reports of credibility and validity rub some entities the wrong way, the response takes on a less than human response.

Fast forward to 2024 when the NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) hosted their convention, as is their standard, they extend an invitation for the candidates for president to address the members, journalists, and other professionals in attendance. Although one of the candidates has a proven track record of wanton disrespect and disregard for their demographic, including his full page ad demanding the execution of certain individuals who are exonerated for a crime they did not commit (to learn more, click HERE), he is invited anyway. His statement only reinforce what is already known, further putting journalists and the media on negative notice (click HERE for a recap of said incident).

The related attacks (and some would say capitulation) to entities along these lines extend to the mainstream media, including, but not limited to ABC and CBS (click HERE for more details). And to make matters even more compromising, for those who utilize public access resources for their news and related programming, they have not been spared either, as noted in the adversarial tactics directed at PBS (click HERE to learn more) and NPR (click HERE for information regarding their lawsuit), putting even challenges on outlets focused on providing information and access, especially to audiences beyond the mainstream.

And if mainstream is "catching heat", what of other media outlets who are focused on doing their job?

While not coming directly from the current setup, the fact that some within the media have pushback for a veteran publisher and reporter from the Jacksonville Free Press simply for showing a measure of humanity to a head football coach who just lost a closely contested playoff game (click HERE) when there are more than enough instances of less proficient members of the media doing something similar or asking a question which has little to do with the matter at hand, it raises some question (thankfully there's counter-criticism to the criticism to show how "out-of-bounds" their rants are) of the current state of affairs and landscape. Combined with this past Friday's disturbing news of the arrest (and later on, release) of 4 Black journalists who are clearly doing their job in gathering information and asking questions for a point of reference (click HERE), it makes you wonder if certain entities are truly that committed to ensuring the literacy level and cognitive ability of a population remain at an elementary school level (as most publications are written on a 6th grade level - click HERE for more information as to why this is done, and while "accessibility" is what is bandied about, it more of a dive into the literacy of US adults, which is far more telling).

It makes you wonder; however, despite having seen this before and potentially seeing this again, this is not the time to lose your voice.

Clearly, be it keeping a community or population as ill-educated and engaged as possible to the larger knowledge of education being the great equalizer. And while fighting every battle may not be feasible, there are some which have to be fought.

Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today (Malcolm X).

In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.).

With the tension and tribulations of the current landscape, hiding under the covers provides a temporary break for at some point, to varying degrees, many, if not all, are going to be impacted by things taking place. And while changes for the better may not happen overnight, they won't happen unless people are willing to be in uncomfortable spaces and places at times.

We have to do our share of learning and research to go beyond the surface and get a better sense of the "why" and then proceed to the "how".

We have to understand we may not see all the fruits of our labor; then again, the very things we do enjoy probably come from someone or something who did what they could knowing they would only see such things in their dreams and not in their reality.

Be it the challenges faced towards media to the challenges of having necessary access to essential services being hampered (click HERE to learn more), at some point, something has to be said and something has to be done for the interlocking and greater good. To accept the current landscape as the now, new, or accepted norm, given the clear disconnects and lack of integrity along with the clear showing of illiteracy and worse by certain aspects of leadership is something that can't be co-signed on.

If anything, continue to learn, ask questions, and at least give a moderate challenge to just make things a little better for as many as possible instead of leaving a negative footprint in the spaces and places you go.

You saw it coming and you see it here.

Don't lose your voice before it gets muted or worse.

Notes: The photos are used via Unsplash.