The dismantling of the State Department’s R/FIMI office, which was tasked with countering foreign disinformation, marked a dramatic turning point in the U.S. government’s relationship with information control. For the young staffers involved, the sudden closure was a traumatic end to their professional lives, met with tears and confusion. Yet, for figures like Mike Benz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, this was a triumphant victory against what they call the “censorship-industrial complex” (CIC). This theory, once relegated to the shadowy corners of the far-right internet, posits that a vast, coordinated network of bureaucrats, tech giants, and NGOs has conspired…

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the 21st century, the definition of journalism is undergoing a profound transformation. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon recently addressed this shift at a seminar organized by the Television Editors’ Council, titled “Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy.” His central message was both a challenge and a call to arms for the profession: the primary duty of a journalist is no longer just reporting the news, but actively safeguarding the integrity of information. In an era where the digital sphere is flooded with noise, the minister argued that the moral imperative of journalism…