Journalism is supposed to be the fourth estate, holding the powerful accountable. But what happens when the press is funded by the very government it’s supposed to scrutinize?
A bombshell report from ZeroHedge reveals that Politico has raked in up to $32 million in federal funding—yes, you read that right—your tax dollars, funneled straight into the coffers of one of the biggest political media outlets in America. The payments, detailed on USASpending.gov, were largely spent on Politico Pro subscriptions, with one contract alone showing half a million dollars going toward just 37 subscriptions.
And Politico isn’t alone. The New York Times has also benefited from similar government spending. These revelations should set off alarm bells for anyone who still believes in a free and independent press. How can these outlets fearlessly investigate government corruption when they’re suckling at the federal teat?
This isn’t journalism. This is state-sponsored propaganda in disguise.
The media’s job is to expose the truth, not to be kept on a leash by the very institutions it should be watchdogging. These pay-to-play schemes call into question every "hard-hitting" article these outlets have published. Were they truly holding power to account—or just regurgitating whatever keeps the money flowing?
At what point does "journalism" just become PR for the regime?
The line between a free press and government-controlled media is dangerously thin—and if we don’t start asking hard questions, it may disappear altogether.
So here’s a question for you: When the government pays the media, who’s really writing the headlines?
Sound off in the comments.
