NPC President Mike Balsamo, at inaugural, calls for defending free press in face of threats
The National Press Club is increasing its commitment to defending a free and independent press in the face of escalating physical, legal and digital threats, according to 118th Club President Mike Balsamo.
Balsamo, U.S. law enforcement editor at the Associated Press, said on Feb. 7 during his inaugural address that disinformation burns like wildfire, online harassment surges and the foundations of U.S. democracy are tested daily.
Journalists are rising to the challenge, Balsamo said, risking everything to hold the powerful accountable and to ensure the voices of the voiceless are heard. “Now more than ever, the world needs a fearless press,” he said. “We are not merely reporting the news, we are shaping history, protecting democracy and defending the right to ask the tough questions.”
As journalists stand united in the fight for press freedom, they face another formidable challenge: downsizing. Balsamo said roughly 3,000 newspapers have shuttered from 2005 to 2024 and 40,000 journalists have lost their jobs, with 2024 layoffs surging nearly 50% over the previous year. This reduction, he said, is compounded by a collapse in public trust in our media, underscoring that the erosion of our newsrooms strikes at the very heart of our democracy.
The new Club Press Freedom Center demonstrates the Club's promise that no journalist will ever stand alone against intimidation, Balsamo said. Whether fighting for a detained American journalist; assisting families thrust into the spotlight; or providing housing, legal aid or career opportunities for those forced into exile, the Press Freedom Center stands ready to act, he said.
Balsamo called for US journalists detained overseas to be returned home. Austin Tice has been held captive in Syria for more than 12 years, forcing his parents, Mark and Debra, to fight every way with the undying hope for their son's return.
“To Debra, Mark and to Austin: We will not rest, we will not back down and we will not yield until you are reunited,” Balsamo said. “Austin's fight for freedom is not just his own—it is the fight of every courageous soul who dares to challenge oppression and speak truth to power.”
Balsamo was the AP reporter on the law enforcement beat when William Barr returned to Washington to serve his second stint as attorney general from 2019 to 2020. Balsamo was the consummate professional, impressing Barr with his genuine interest in the Justice Department, his understanding of the issues and his probing curiosity, Barr said at the event. Balsamo's trademark is his intellectual honesty and his commitment to getting the story right, he said.
Balsamo is the sixth AP staffer to lead the Club. He asked each inaugural attendee to pledge to rise for freedom, stand for truth and forge a future where the power of journalism burns brighter than ever. With relentless determination, courage and unwavering conviction, journalists, he said, will write the next chapter of our nation's story, one defined by unity, resilience and an unbreakable commitment to our shared ideals.
“The future is ours to shape, and together, our light will never dim,” Balsamo said.