Last week, the Trump Administration made its most brazen swipe at the press yet: a public “Media Offenders” list on the official White House website. It’s essentially a government-run wall of shame, with The Boston Globe as one of its earliest targets.

The list claims to expose “biased” reporting. The Globe’s so-called offense? Covering a video in which six Democratic lawmakers urged service members to reject illegal orders, and reporting on the firestorm sparked by the president’s incendiary response. The White House insists the Globe exaggerated:

“Fake News Media subversively implied that President Trump had issued illegal orders to service members,” the website states. “[Then, they] misrepresented President Trump’s call for Members of Congress to be held accountable [by] saying that he called for their ‘execution.’”

This isn’t simply criticism. It’s a calculated attempt to intimidate journalists by turning the tools of government against them.

Press freedom groups are sounding the alarm. One nonprofit organization, The Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that the list mirrors tactics “more in line with an authoritarian regime” in a recent statement. When a president publishes a leaderboard of “offenders,” complete with a tip-line encouraging Americans to report journalists, the message is unmistakable: step out of line, and you’ll be next.

This matters far beyond the Globe’s newsroom. When the government labels routine reporting as misconduct, every outlet is impacted, from national papers to student publications. Reporters may hesitate to ask tough questions. Editors may soften coverage to avoid being singled out. The democratic function of journalism erodes long before outright censorship ever appears.

All of this comes at a moment when the administration has already tightened access to information, restricted press credentials and escalated its attacks on major news organizations. Not to mention the recent use of detrimental language directed towards female reporters by the president.

The “Media Offenders” list isn’t an isolated stunt; it’s part of a broader campaign to delegitimize any scrutiny of those in power.

So no, this isn’t a hall of shame for The Boston Globe. It’s a warning sign for all of us. If the public shrugs while the government brands journalists as enemies, we risk losing one of the few institutions capable of holding those in power accountable.

In a democracy, a free press isn’t a threat. It’s a safeguard. And it’s one we can’t afford to see dismantled – not by intimidation, not by political theater and not by a clickable “offenders” leaderboard.