Friend,

Murder and political violence are wrong and must be condemned. Full stop. In Utah. In Colorado. In Minnesota. In Illinois. In Washington, D.C. Everywhere. Nothing anyone says justifies them being killed. At Free Press, we condemn the murder of Charlie Kirk — and all violence — in the strongest terms possible.

We must also condemn those — starting with the president — who are exploiting violence and tragedy to repress and endanger their political opponents or to excuse their own violence and threats. We condemn government officials using acts of political violence to legitimize the militarization of our communities and the further erosion of human and civil rights.

Being horrified by Charlie Kirk’s murder doesn’t preclude us from also being horrified that he used his megaphone to spread hate and excuse violence, including the murder of protesters.

We desperately need a media and tech system capable of getting to the truth, separating rumor and falsehood from fact. Instead, we have one — driven by the political agenda of the billionaires who control it — that thrives on exploiting our fears and pushing violence and hate. A healthy democracy needs and deserves better.

In this terrible and terrifying week, Free Press is actively monitoring social and traditional media. In tense moments like these, where confusion abounds and emotions are heightened, disinformation spreads faster than the truth. We have seen reporters posting unverified — even debunked — details from anonymous law-enforcement sources while Twitter/X users submit AI-generated photos of alleged suspects.

We cannot give into the forces that want to exploit this divisive moment to further destabilize our political system and harm more innocent people. The rampant disinformation of the past few days feeds directly into this country’s authoritarian takeover: Right-wing figures — including lawmakers — have already signaled a severe crackdown on free speech and the organizations that defend it.

This is a time for caution and care. May we seize this terrible moment to chart a different path, to reject hate and extremism, to call on media-makers and political leaders to help foster a true participatory democracy that’s free of political violence.

May we demand a different kind of coverage that prioritizes facts over clicks, a different kind of tech that connects us rather than feeds on our fears, where going online doesn’t expose us to constant threats or trauma.

May we demonstrate a different kind of leadership, show a different kind of humanity and make this the last time we have to write messages like this one.

Stay safe—

The Free Press team

P.S. Having trouble separating fact from fiction? Check out our guide to handling misinformation.