1/ It's not been spoken about enough how the extremists at the Capitol attacked journalists and destroyed their equipment

Attacking journalists is a key part of fascism and authoritarianism - so its unsurprising that Trump et al portray them as enemies of the people

2/ It's all well and good to be critical of the media - I often am, and I view myself as a journalist

But completely devaluing it & seeing it as a scourge is incredibly dangerous - just look at what happened to journalists in Wuhan when they tried to warn the world about Covid

3/ I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you're angry with the political spin you see on the front of a newspaper, or written by a famous columnists - you're angry with editorial decisions of those wealthy enough to control narratives

That is completely different to...

4/ ... honest, hard-working journalists on the ground risking their lives trying to report a siege on a government in real time

Normalising violent hatred towards average, hard-working journalists makes the jobs of those trying to undermine democracy so, so much easier

5/ Without journalists, you wouldn't know what is happening in hospitals with Covid

Without journalists, you wouldn't have seen the siege unfolding in real time

Without journalists, governments can avoid all accountability - which is why they are suppressed in dictatorships

6/ So, as frustrated as you may be with that article, that broadcaster, that front page - just remember that you're not angry with journalism, you're angry with de facto political oligarchy that make certain political editorial decisions

Democracy needs journalists

7/ Think about why Trump hates journalists. Think about why the police tear-gassed journalists and arrested them during Black Lives Matter protests. Think about why authoritarian regimes imprison or execute journalists.

Journalism is a cornerstone of democracy.