New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)

Press is vital to fighting hunger and other injustices

- By William Lambers William Lambers is an author who partnered with the United Nations World Food Program on the book “Ending World Hunger.”

President Trump’s routine assaults on the media, calling them the “enemy of the people,” is one of his worst actions since he took office. Newspapers play a vital role informing the public about many social injustices, including silent emergencie­s like global hunger.

It’s not easy getting attention to issues like hunger and nutrition. The World Food Program, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children and other charities work with journalist­s to get word out about food shortages they witness. This is essential for rallying the public and government to take action which saves lives.

These tragedies unfold many thousands of miles from our shores. This vast distance makes hunger victims sadly out of sight and out of mind. Communitie­s in Africa suffering from drought or war refugees in the Middle East struggling to get food might not get any news coverage. A small child suffering from malnutriti­on in war-torn Yemen or Syria does not have a voice unless the media takes action.

Newspapers can bring these stories to the American public. When President Harry Truman appointed former President Herbert Hoover as food ambassador in 1946, newspapers were part of this mission. Post war Europe was on the brink of famine and Hoover’s task was to save hundreds of millions of lives from starvation. Hoover spoke to the press often about the situation, rallying support for feeding the hungry in the war afflicted nations.

Even local hunger issues need attention, which newspapers can provide. There might be unseen hunger in your community unless the newspaper tells the story. The media also can highlight efforts to eliminate hunger such as food drives.

Sometimes the policies of government must be subject to criticism, such as when the Trump administra­tion threatened to reduce food stamps. Cuts to SNAP would place an overwhelmi­ng burden on foodbanks to feed America’s hungry.

Trump, in his budget proposals, planned to eliminate the McGovern-Dole school lunch program which feeds children in developing countries. Trump also proposed eliminatin­g the Food for Peace program that feeds the hungry in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and many other nations.

Without the media shining light on these budget proposals that would impact the poor, these cuts might have sailed right through without any scrutiny.

Newspapers and online media provide an outlet for these vital policy considerat­ions as well as reminding the American public of how our past leaders have addressed hunger. The 70th anniversar­y of the Marshall Plan and the Berlin Airlift, both which fed the hungry in Europe, are powerful tales of our great humanitari­an history.

Our media should be valued, not subjected to attacks from government leaders. Of the many roles of the free press, fighting injustices like hunger is one of its most important.

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